Paper Luigi X
by Child at Heart Forever
Summary: Have you ever experienced a time when no matter how hard you tried, you failed, and the time you spent felt wasted? If ever you feel such pangs of regret, try to remember this tale... the story of a young man's quest to be just like his brother...
1. Itsa Luigi Time!

Paper Luigi X

Prologue: It's-a Luigi Time!

In the little cottage way out in the woods, a parakoopa flew downward to the mailbox. He slipped a letter in the box, and sighed.

"MAIL CALL!" Parakarry, who he was better known as, called out. He fluttered away as Luigi trotted out again. As usual, he was hoping for some fan mail, but was disappointed when it was just another letter for Mario. He sighed.

"Another sign of adventure for Mario…I'm sure I'll get something exciting eventually…" Luigi told himself. When he reentered the house, he scanned the letter.

"Hey, Bro.! Check it out! A letter from Princess Peach arrived for you!" Luigi explained. Mario entered anxiously from the next room, and Luigi started to read it aloud, only because he was curious too.

_Hello there Mario! I am now on holiday, traveling in the Mushroom kingdom. In my travels, I came into possession of a mystical map…a treasure map actually…It was inside an old box I got from a merchant in a town called Rogueport. But since it would be too difficult to find the treasure all by myself…and too boring for our other world friends to come along without you…I thought you could help me hunt for it! You will, of course, won't you? I've included the map with this letter so please bring it with you when you come. We'll all meet you at Rogueport. (That means you MUST come!),_

_Peach_

"What do you know? It's true! There's a weathered old map in here with the letter. Check it out!" Luigi gaped. Mario almost didn't hear him. He was too busy thinking about his old friends…way back in the day…Luigi moaned. He was probably thinking about his other world friends again. He did that very often now, occasionally making Luigi jealous that he got to have such incredible adventures.

_"Someday, I want to have an adventure where_ I_ can meet people from other worlds and save a princess or two! Maybe the people I'll meet will be just like me-a totally forgotten side-kick!" he wrote in his diary one day. "I know some people, okay a lot, think I'm just dead weight for Mario, but no one's ever seen me try! I'll show them…aw, who am I kidding?"_

Luigi sighed, realizing Mario was still in his own world. He frustratedly shook the map Peach had sent him in his face until he snapped out of it. Mario blinked twice, and then snagged the map out of Luigi's hands. He skimmed it, noting that it seemed a bit odd. But since his other world friends Link, Sonic, Kirby, and Samus were there, why keep them waiting? He waved to Luigi and trotted out the door, unexpecting an adventure under his nose.

"See ya, Bro! I'll just stay here…as usual…" Luigi grumbled. Being left at home was so boring! He sighed once again, as if that as the only thing he could do. He headed into his bedroom, knocked on the loosest floorboard twice, and then jumped down. There was his secret diary.

"I feel like someone read this…" he muttered to himself. Luigi picked up his pen and began to write.

_Dear Diary-_

_Mario has left on another exciting adventure, and he doesn't even need to save the princess this time! Here I am, just sitting at home. Maybe if he asked me to come along, I wouldn't be feeling so down! But…he didn't, and I guess I'll try to kill the time until he comes back. I feel so wasted. I have potential, I never get the chance to use it is all. Being left behind sucks. All I want to do is be just like him…and maybe get some new friends too…_

_-Luigi_

He shut his book, and just decided to sleep for the rest of the day. He didn't even want to read the new book he bought.

**The next day-**

Luigi yawned, almost forgetting that Mario was gone. He remembered when he noticed there was no snoring on the other bunk. Grunting that Mario was enjoying himself while he did all the housework, Luigi headed to the kitchen.

"Hmm…I'm kind of hungry. Maybe I can put my cooking class to good use!"

Luigi, happy that he had something to keep him busy, skipped to the kitchen and looked up something to cook for breakfast. Just as he thought he found something good and was pulling out the ingredients, Parakarry was outside once again.

"Fiddlesticks! I thought for sure that was the only letter for Mario this week…how am I supposed to find this Mario Bros. one way at the bottom?" Parakarry complained. "Oh well…MAIL CALL…again!"

Luigi stopped everything he was doing in the kitchen and rushed outside. There was no way Parakarry could have another letter. Sure, they- er,_ Mario_- got a lot of mail, but two letters in one week was a tad unusual. Nevertheless, he reached in the blue mail box and pulled out a bakery scented letter. Luigi gave it a good whiff, then danced around. Rushing back inside and nearly knocking his chair over when he sat down, he tore open the top of the envelope and glued his eyes to the letter. He did manage to see that it was addressed to Mario Bros., but since he was the only Bro., he was allowed to read it.

_"Sirs! My name is Crepe. I am a cabinet minister in the far off Waffle Kingdom. Danger besets us on all side, and we beg your help! Our land has been attacked by the Chestnut King, who took our Princess Éclair. I ask, nay, BEG for your assistance! The Waffle Kingdom needs your skills! I humbly request your prompt response, sirs!_

_Sincerely,_

_Crepe"_

Luigi pulled back from the letter. "Wow…a chance to go on a real adventure! But…I don't know how! Augh! If I go, then I might fail at saving this Éclair princess and I'd never forgive myself…maybe it can wait until Mario comes back…"

Luigi set the letter down and proceeded to the kitchen once again. He wasn't even able to pick up his knife without the danger of cutting himself, considering the thoughts in his head.

_Go Luigi…it's the opportunity of a life time…she's not going to wait forever…you're the only one!_

Luigi quickly grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down "Mix a Keel Mango with a Peachy Peach to whip up a Fruit Parfait." He stood up straight, arms poised like a true hero's.

"No matter who you are, a hero resides in everyone…or at least that's what I want to believe…" Luigi commented. He stormed to the door and dashed to the pipe outside, like a cape was flowing behind his back.

"It's-a Luigi's Time!" he cried before disappearing down the green tube. At Toad Town docks, he boarded the only ship, the S.S. Loss (it was supposed to be Lass, but it was so worn it looked like Loss). The driver was a kind old man, who was craving a bit of sea-faring. Once Luigi told him to set sail for the Waffle Kingdom, he wasted no time in staring the puff-puff of the smoke top. Luigi stood at the hull, looking out toward his adventuring domain, and preparing for his own little quest…

"Oh yeah! It's-a Luigi time!"

* * *

**You never saw it coming, did ya (except for one annyonymous person who guessed...)? XD I've given microscopic hints, but I wanted this story to be as surprising as possible! Two important things; before you ask if any charcters from different "worlds" than the charcters in PMX are appearing, no- all 4 of Luigi's team members are from the same worlds of the characters we love and cherish. I've already got them picked out- two are pretty predictable, while two not so much...**

**Second thing; the updating system. This story has no set schedule. Some weeks you'll get one chapter, others two, and some not one at all! Why do that? A: there are certain things in PMX2 that I want to get to before certain points in this one, B: this story is a lot shorter sicne I have less ground to build up from and I don't want it ending too quickly and C: it's no where near finished. I'm a person who likes to have at leasy 3/4ths of the story finished before I post it, but that's hardly possible. I started this in March (along with PMX2) and am only at chapter 20- which is actually still pretty good. ;)**

**Hope that clears things up and I hope you'll enjoy this Paper Mario X spinoff! ;)**


	2. In the Land of Waffle

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 1: In the Land of Waffle

The old man docked Luigi on the Waffle Kingdom's main city, the one that held Princess Éclair's Waffle Castle. The palace itself had a rooftop waffle cone, waffle doors, chocolate wall, and Luigi noted it was raining syrup.

"Good luck Luigi! You're going to need it. Wherever you want to go, I'll take you…" the old man explained. Luigi tipped his hat in gratitude; that was his new way of saying thank you. If he was going to go on this adventure, he had better start up some catchphrases and original moves.

_"If it works for Sonic, it might work for me!"_

He stepped--tripped--off the boat and onto the pancake-ish roads. A lot of small-Toad looking creatures walked around, except instead of having Mushroom heads, they has waffle cones. No surprise there.

"This is a nice little Kingdom!" Luigi exclaimed. He regretted his words instantly when a shrilling shriek rang through his ears. "Oh no! That doesn't sound good at all!"

Luigi jumped behind a trash can and wailed "Mario!" until he realized that this was _his_ adventure, and _he_ had to save people when they cried out for help. If he had a theme song, he'd being playing it right then as he heroically sprung toward the cry of distress. It was a Waffle Kingdom girl, backed-up against a Post Office with some kind of peanut looking-things snarling at her. She looked up toward Luigi with fear-stricken eyes.

"Can you please help me Mr.?" she breathed. Luigi couldn't say no to a scared little face like that. He jumped into battle against the Pea-Nutts. Each Pea-Nutt had 3 HP, and there were three Pea-Nutts. Luigi, at first, didn't know what to do, until the girl told him to jump. Luigi nodded and leaped into the air. Everyone looked up in awe, but the first Pea-Nutt didn't stare long because his eye was taken out by Luigi's boot. Since he was such an expert jumper, Luigi's jumping did 3 damage, to fully kill it. But the down-fall to that was that it took him a while to regain balance.

"I don't feel so good…" he shook.

"Then just use your hammer instead! It's not as powerful as your jump, but you'll be able to maintain a strong stance!" the girl explained. Luigi was about to attack again, but then one of the rabid Pea-Nutts crawled up his leg and bit his nose. The other one then sprang into the air and knocked Luigi back. This incredible attack took a good 4 out of Luigi.

"Ow! That was not nice!" he yelped.

"Don't give up! You can do it!"

"but I only have 6 HP!"

Luigi sighed and, ignoring his own protests, jumped on the second Pea-Nutt. He stumbled backward and fell onto the stage floor. One more enemy down, one more to go. The last opponent went to nip Luigi's nose again, but the girl quickly shouted for Luigi to defend himself. Luigi wasted no time and lifted his arms to his face, ending up in him taking away only one HP instead of two.

"good job! You're almost done!" the girl cheered. Luigi panted. Is this was Mario did everyday?!?! He wanted to get this battle finished right away, so he jumped again. Sure, it killed the Pea-Nutt, but Luigi slipped and crashed into the wall next to the girl. He gained 10 Star Points.

"Hooray! I know they're nuts, but they sure are nutty!" she exclaimed.

_"That was horrible…"_

As an reward, she gave Luigi a taste of a Mushroom. Luigi was glad they had familiar food and chowed down instantly. When he was done, he asked the girl her name.

"My name's Frogette! Thank you for saving me…uh, what's your name?"

Luigi smirked and stood in a heroic fashion. "I am…Super Luigi!"

Frogette sweat dropped. "I'm just going to call you Luigi."

"That's cool."

"Well, I'd love to stay here, but I have to be on my way somewhere else. If you ever need help or something, just call me up!"

With a wink, Frogette trotted off. Luigi wanted to ask her for directions to the Waffle Castle, but obviously she was busy. He turned to ask some other Wafflanian, but they were all in a buzz about Princess Éclair being kidnapped, most of them sobbing. Luigi decided that this must've been very serious, so he frantically searched for someone friendly and helpful. Everyone was too sad, and some were trying to be tough to impress others, and tossed Luigi into a tree.

"Oooh, anyone know how to get to the castle?" Luigi moaned. Suddenly, a little blur of brown rushed next to Luigi and waved a friendly hand.

"hello stranger! I'm Frog!"

Luigi rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing that's the name of your species too."

"Whoa! How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess. So, do you know how to get to the Waffle Castle?"

Frog laughed and rolled onto the ground. Luigi stared at him until he stood up, wiping a tear away.

"Who _doesn't_ know where that is?!?"

"Uh, me!"

"Ha ha! I WORK there, you know. Éclair's special advisor. All you have to do is go through that Moon Gate over there and bing! Castle. Ya can't miss it. I was on my way there myself, so I guess I'll be nice and lead you."

Luigi was a bit skeptical of Frog, but followed him anyway. A few people took note to Luigi going for a stroll with Frog, and getting a few suspicious looks.

"Hurry, chap! Minister Crepe is awaiting me!" Frog called, already a few feet ahead of Luigi.

"Hey! That' s the guy who sent me-and Mario, but he's busy-here!" Luigi recalled. "Is his name…Master Creepy?"

"No! Minister Crepe. If you don't call him by that, you're pretty much in deep water."

Luigi gulped as Frog used all his might to try and shove the Moon Door open. Luigi went to help him, gently giving it a push with a hand. Frog collapsed forward, falling face first.

"uh…whoops."

"Yeah. Whoops.

Luigi wasn't getting off on the right foot…more like the left one.

------

Inside Waffle Castle, there was a giant painting of Princess Éclair. She had long flowing, chocolate brown hair, a light vanilla dress with deep brown accents, dainty little white gloves, like Daisy's, seemingly meant for a tea party. Her main features were the éclair based pin on the front of her dress, same colors as her dress, and her tiara was a waffle color, and her center jewel was none other than the Marvelous Compass piece itself!

"Oh Éclair! Your beauty amazes me…" Luigi said dreamily with Frog gawking at him. "…what? She's pretty."

Frog shook his head and lead Luigi down the green carpeted halls. At the end of the biggest one was the Grand Room, which had doors to the ball room and the meeting room. Frog took a left and guided Luigi to the meeting room.

"this is a nice place!" remarked Luigi.

"We know. That's all we ever hear about." Frog groaned and dangled from the doorknob of the Meeting Room's door. Luigi helped him once again, and gained a death glare.

"What? I wanted to help."

"I could do it by myself, thank you very much!"

"…don't know how…"

Frog stormed away, claiming someone was calling him. Luigi brushed him off and entered the meeting room. At the end of a long table was a flaky looking character in a long, dark blue cloak, a layered white mustache, and a blue hood covering his face, except for charcoal gray eyes and said moustache.

"Luigi! Come in. Where is your brother?" Minister Crepe began. Luigi was too in awe to answer his question.

"Oh my gosh…you know my name! I-I-I'm in shock!" Luigi looked like he was about to faint.

"Of course I know you. You're the green Mario! Luigi! Personally, I'm a bit disappointed that Mario didn't show up…his skills are quite impressive."

Luigi's face fell. "He's on a treasure hunting vacation with a few of his buds. Too busy to save innocent princesses…" He now put up his feet and did his new trademark hat tip. Crepe rolled his eyes. Luigi knew he didn't care where Mario was, and the minister stood up and turned his back to the green plumber.

_"This is hopeless…"_ Crepe told himself. _"…but since he is the only one here, he must. There is no other way."_

Crepe whirled himself around. "As you know, I'm Minister Crepe-"

"How do you say that? Every time I try, I end up with something near Master Creepy, or Malicious Croppy…"

Crepe's grey eyes flared. "I am Minister Crepe! Known by nothing else! Get it right, or suffer!"

Luigi shrank in his seat. "Minister C-C-Crepe…" he whispered. Crepe returned to his normal mustached grin.

"Prefect. Now, our fair Waffle Kingdom had two treasures. The first being Princess Éclair. But that horrid Chestnut King went berserk and kidnapped her. Vanished before my very eyes. I consulted an oracle on what to do, and he said a certain compass could locate her, since said compass was broken into seven pieces and one is now embedded in her tiara. Our land had a second treasure: the Marvelous Compass. Find its seven parts, and find Éclair…"

Luigi nodded, and Crepe reached into his deep pocket and pulled out a bronze base to a compass. When Luigi held it in his hand, it suddenly blazed a brilliant white.

"Whoa! What's happening!" he cried. Crepe seemed to hide a smile. As Luigi looked into the compass, he thought he saw a vision of a volcano. He then felt a shock go up his arm, and he learned the Compass Move Refresh Direction. Crepe nodded.

"The compass is leading you to the south, Luigi. To Rumblebump Volcano on the Pudding Continent. Go Luigi, get the seven pieces, and put the compass together to find Éclair! Use the Compass' power to help you!"

Luigi proudly accepted the large task at hand; no going back now. He slithered his way out of the castle, avoiding Frog at all costs. The other frogs of what was known as Frogfield, now knew that Luigi was getting their princess back. They cheered and praised for him, filling Luigi with pure confidence.

_"I can do this,"_ he thought to himself. He returned to the docks where the old man was waiting.

"Where to, Luigi?" the man asked.

"Before we go anywhere, I must know your name," Luigi explained. This guy _was_ a bit mysterious. The old man smiled.

"I'm known as Bosco." That was all he said. Luigi shrugged; he was satisfied.

"To the Pudding Continent, Good Sir Bosco!" Luigi ordered. Bosco chuckled deeply, started the sails, made sure Luigi was secure, and took off. Luigi was on his way.

* * *

**I decided to post this one after all, though next week I know for sure there'll won't be one. Just a simple heads up. **


	3. A Princess in a Tower

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 2: A Princess in a Tower

The Chestnut King stormed up the steps, hearing thunder crash in the background. He tossed his luggage into the top room of the tower. A sack crashed helplessly into a small room, meant for a prisoner. The Chestnut King grunted, stomped over, and untied the sweet princess from the sack. He literally dumped her out, the girl becoming a heap on the floor.

"You're going to stay there for a long time! And by the time you come out, the world will be a far better place…"

He untied her hands, but managed to get to the door before she regained her senses and untied the blindfold around her eyes. The door shut with a thunderous slam, and Princess Éclair sat up in time to hear the door lock.

"This is terrible…" she sobbed to herself. "It was going to be such a nice wedding…and then that monster came out from nowhere and kidnapped me!"

She glanced up, and through her tears saw that her bed was a light blue, but the rest of the room was a bleak and faded grey.

"I'm going to be stuck in this drab room for who knows how long! At least I have a window…"

Éclair got out of the bed and stuck her head out the window. One glance downward dashed all her hopes of escape. The tower seemed like it was a mile from the ground, and even if it wasn't, jagged rocks surrounded the tower, and vast ocean with angry crashing waves surrounded those rocks. Éclair looked to the sky for hope, but the musty grey-green color didn't lift her spirits very much.

"This so unfair! I don't deserve this!"

She started to sob uncontrollably on the floor, and began to silently wish.

_"Oh…ancient guardians of the Marvelous Compass…please give me a little strength to carry on through this horrible predicament…I haven't been in here but three minutes and my hope is lost!"_

The compass piece on her tiara started glowing, and as she gave up and started sobbing, something started to materialize in the air. It was clearly a boy, with mahogany hair, bright mauve eyes, and a white outfit. He floated down the Éclair and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Princess…everything isn't as bad as it seems…and some things aren't as good as they seem to be either…"

Éclair's chocolate brown color haired-head suddenly jerked up, face stained with tears. "Oh my goodness! You're a Luff spirit. You answered my prayer?"

The boy nodded. "It was all a part of fate, my princess friend. Being a Luff spirit means that I passed because of the curse of the compass, and I can see the future and how this will all play out!"

Éclair clasped her hands together. "That's great! Can you tell me if I'm going to make it out and get married to my fiancée?"

The boy scratched the back of his head. "Sorry…I'm not allowed to tell you anything big like that…but I CAN tell you that someone is coming to rescue you…though him actually saving you is highly unlikely…"

"What?! Then I'm doomed…hey, what's your name?"

"I'm Huckleberry! And, no, you're not doomed. Let me explain…the one coming to save you goes by the name of Luigi, and he's a bit of an accident prone klutz. Worse, this is his first time saving a princess all by himself…"

"Why would that matter?"

"Because his older brother is a legend for saving a princess every two weeks…and with little experience and little self-esteem, I really wouldn't put too much hope in the guy-"

"But Huckleberry! If what you say is true…then isn't Luigi my only hope? Isn't he going to save me?"

Huckleberry sat in a relaxed pose in the air. "As we speak now, no, he's not…" Éclair put on a look of horror. "But you forget, dear princess, that futures can change…"

And he snapped his fingers.

"What did you just do?"

Huckleberry smirked. "I can't tell you that. It would ruin things for Luigi…but let's just say the future just might be a bit brighter…"

Éclair folded her arms and sighed. "You're one impossible spirit. How are you supposed to help me?"

"I'm not_ going_ to help you! You wished for someone to help you get through the predicament, and your compass piece granted your wish! What you see is what you get!"

"So you're basically going to help me get through this?"

"Bingo!"

Éclair sat on the bed and rested her head on her hands. "Then…can you make this headache I suddenly have go away?"

"No problem!"

Huckleberry spun his right hand around, magic dancing around his fingers. Éclair gasped. The Luff spirit then caught the magic sparkles in his hand and blew them at Éclair's face. Éclair coughed, the natural reaction to dust in your face, but surprisingly there was no need to…and no headache either! The princess had to feel her face to make sure she wasn't imagining anything as Huckleberry just laughed.

"Did you doubt my magic?"

"N-No but I…I can't believe it! How much magic do you have, if that was just a little sample?"

Huckleberry shrugged. "Time can only tell…"

As she was about to rant to Huckleberry about his puzzling figures of speech, a note slid under the door.

_I heard you crying, Princess Éclair…I hope you are lonely and miserable!!!!!!_

Éclair glanced at the note, then at Huckleberry, and tore it up.

"Not anymore…"

With a smile, she faced Huckleberry and gave him a hug in thanks.

"This won't be so bad anymore…"

And Huckleberry grinned from ear to ear.

* * *

**I didn't wanna post this because it's frighteningly short T-T but I DO like the thought od an Eclair chapter every now and then, and future ones WILL be longer, I promise.**

**Next time, Luigi starts his adveture in Rumblebump! With a new friend, creating a recycled enemy of his own, and already messing things up, he sure is in for it!**


	4. The First Tastes

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 3: The First Tastes

"Sorry Master Luigi," Bosco apologized. "I'm afraid we need to stop for some supplies and a bit of fuel."

Luigi stepped on deck to be face to face with him. "Where's the nearest city?"

"Um…according to your map, and your compass, it's Rogueport."

Luigi did a double take. "That's where Mario went to! Do you think I'll see him?"

Bosco laughed. "Wouldn't be surprised of you didn't."

A half-an-hour later, they docked at good old Rogueport. Luigi gazed in awe at the poor quality of the city.

"Mario really came _here_!?" he guffawed. A blue bomb-omb with a little bandana nodded.

"Yea. Pluma came roun' here few days ago. He said he was lookin' fer a Princess er some fin'."

Luigi didn't argue. Peach probably got herself kidnapped during this. While Bosco went his own way to purchase some fuel from a black market, Luigi grabbed some Mushrooms and Honey Syrups from town. Bandit took ¾ of his coins after he bought his gear, so he only lost 8 coins. Luigi knew Bosco wasn't any where near done, so he headed to the east area for a bit. A peculiar looking house with a Shine Sprite sparked his interest, so he checked it out. He was kicked out because someone was already in there, and he waited outside the door.

"It sounds like a place Zelda would have wanted to go…" a familiar voice stated, exiting the house next door.

"I bet she would love to be here right now…" assured a koopa coming behind the guy the voice came from. The guy suddenly looked over and noticed Luigi. "Hey Mario! Isn't that Luigi?!"

At the sound of his name and his bro's name, Luigi turned around to see Mario being followed by Goombella, and Link followed by Koops.

"Hey there bro.! I'm on an adventure of my own!" Luigi explained. He noticed Link suppressing laughter behind a fist and Mario twitching his mustache. "Laugh all you want guys! It's true! Wanna hear?"

"We're kinda busy-"

Mario wanted to hear his brother vouch so he nodded. Link smacked his head and got snug up against the wall. Once Luigi stated it was a long story, Link made a face at Mario, and Mario just grinned sheepishly.

"Like I said, It's a long story, but here it goes…"

**Half an hour later…**

Mario was snoring, and Link was howling on the ground. The sound of Luigi not talking suddenly snapped Mario awake, and Link jumped ten feet in the air. Mario thanked him for the story, and wished him luck on the adventure.

"See ya Luigi! Your "adventure" seems interesting!" chortled Link. Luigi frowned. He knew they didn't really listen, and that set him down a little bit. They waved good-bye to Luigi, and headed for the West side of town. Luigi didn't feel like waiting for the Shine Sprite man to call him, so he just sighed and headed back to Bosco's ship. When Bosco saw the glum look on Luigi's face, he couldn't help but feel pity.

"Are you okay Luigi?" he wondered.

"Nah, just got a bit put down by my bro. Must've been Link influencing him…" Luigi muttered, more to himself than to Bosco. Bosco didn't pry anymore and started up the S.S. Breadstick. Sailing toward the Pudding Continent, Luigi wondered if he was a hero at all. Perhaps he was meant to be a cheese maker somewhere else.

------

"Land ahoy!" Bosco called. Luigi had fallen asleep, eyes barely open to see the vast jungle surrounding a large bubbling volcano.

"Whoa. Didn't expect to see it so…exotic."

"Well, that's it all right. We're going to arrive shortly."

**Shortly-**

Bosco pulled into the dock, letting Luigi jump anxiously off.

"Just remember, if you need to leave, I'll be waiting."

Luigi nodded and thanked Bosco for everything, then started his trek. From the ocean, the jungle didn't look too big, but now that he had stepped foot on land, he was having second thoughts.

"It doesn't even look like there's any civilization on here!" gaped Luigi. Nevertheless, he pushed through bushes, got smacked in the face by snapping branches, and tripping over vines. This was not a good start.

_Day 1_

_I have been on this place, lost in the jungle, for a day now. I've eaten one mushroom and drank half a honey syrup. There are some ferocious enemies around! Fuzzies that suck up my quickly depleting HP, Troopas that love to pick on me, and mostly…goombas! But, around these parts they're known as Bumpas, and look like muffins instead of mushrooms. It's been tough. Last night, I slept in a bed of moss! Ooh…not good._

_Day 2_

_Another night, another day in the jungle. I was going in a circle for five hours, taking up most my day. I was so hungry I scarfed down two mushrooms and a syrup and a half. My supplies are now going down. Oh no…a Troopa!_

Luigi stuffed his journal into his knapsack and prepared to fight. It was only two normal Troopas, but to Luigi they were practically gangsters. He started off the battle with a jump to the first's head. The one Troopa toppled onto his back, leaving him unmovable. Luigi was in awe at that, until the other one slammed into his stomach. He squalled, then finished the first one off with a might hammer smash. This time, he was ready for the Troopa's attack. He gave a smirk, then propelled toward Luigi, but Luigi Super-guarded it.

"Aha ha! Get a piece of Luigi!" Luigi bragged. The Troopa shook a fist, but Luigi discounted it. He crouched down low, then sprang like a spring, one foot aimed for the Troopa's head. The Troopa's sunglasses were broken by it, along with his pride. Now that it couldn't attack, Luigi cried a battle cry and pounded a hammer into its tummy. With a gasp of pain, it disappeared, and Luigi won.

"Yeah! Maybe I won't die here after all!" Luigi decided. His words didn't last long as he continued down the path. A Fuzzy jumped out of a bush, and instantly sucked 3 HP from Luigi. Luigi screamed and threw it off.

"You're going to pay for that!" Luigi growled. He simply made a foot mark on its face, and it fainted. "See? Told you. Hope it doesn't call back-up…"

_Day 3_

_I STILL haven't reached Rumblebump Volcano! Can you believe that? This jungle is really thick! Good gosh! I'm starting to lose hope…but I COULD be like that girl falling out of the sky…wait, WHAT!?_

Luigi tossed his secret journal into his bag again and looked up at the sky to hear a faint scream. There was a girl with long red hair, a white dress that reached just above her knees, long brown boots that reached the bottom of her knees, and a strange amulet pin sitting at the base of her dress' ribbony collar. She turned to Luigi with large blue eyes, as if to beg him to help. Luigi knew this was a serious moment and sprang into action. He dashed through the never ending jungle, trying to make it in time to catch the girl. But, to his horror, he tripped once again, and there was a loud and unmissable sound.

"Oh no! Ah ah oh no !!! Wha!" panicked Luigi. To his very shock and disappointment, she was only about ten trees away. If he hadn't tripped, he might have made it.

"I'm such a klutz! One little trip up and someone fell flat on their face!" he wailed. "She's probably…_gone_! And it's all my fault!" He crawled over to the girl, who was dangling from a tree. She fell out of the branch, and this time, Luigi was there to catch her. How could a girl just…fall? At first, Luigi thought this was impossible, until he flipped her over and looked at her face. Maybe she was from another world? This thought made Luigi nearly drop her. There was no problem, since she was already out cold.

_Day 4_

_This girl has been dead weight for me. I mean, not that she_ is_ dead! You know, the saying…yeah. Anyway, I didn't want to leave her behind so I tried carrying and dragging her. I was so tired, I sloped her by a tree and I crash next to her. Man, what a day! Now I'm not moving until she wakes up, but who knows how long that'll take?_

Luigi sighed. The girl seemed to be in her mid-teens, and as Luigi kept starring he confirmed she definitely wasn't from this world. He also felt like he'd seen her before. Very briefly, but he had seen her. If only she would wake up! He was getting impatient, so he started whistling a random song. Like magic, the girls eyes flittered open, and she sat up like she had not been knocked out at all.

"Wow…that's a pretty song!" she exclaimed. She dug into a pocket and pulled out a pipe instrument. "How do you play that?" Luigi, in a shock, surprise, and daze all wrapped in one, absentmindedly started whistling again, and the girl giggled. Like an expert, she began to play the exact same tune and pitch, as if when Luigi whistled the notes fell into her mind. Her hands and fingers moved furiously, though only a soft, beautiful sound came out. Luigi was hypnotized. When the girl finished the song, the jungle seemed to separate to make a path.

"Hmm…must've been some kind of plant life song or something…" she pondered. Luigi gawked.

"Who are you? Where'd you come from? How'd you do that? Why's your hair so_ long_?!?" he slurred. Then he remembered something. "Wait a second! Aren't you the girl who was trying to talk to that weird fox at Peach's celebration party?" The girl laughed.

"My name is Malon. I am from the kingdom of Hyrule, and my mother taught me how to play plants, and I applied that to this pipe flute. Why my hair is so long? Obviously because I don't cut it," Malon answered every question Luigi spat. "And yes, I have been in the Mushroom Kingdom once before. I can't believe you noticed me in that big crowd."

"Why were you falling from the sky yesterday?"

Malon put on a face of shock. "Yesterday!? I was out an entire day!?"

"More like 18 hours."

Luigi's innocent comment made her flip. She stood up and checked every inch of her. "Ah! Am I all right? Ooh, that didn't go as planned... You see, Link left Hyrule to come here, on a vacation with a few friends of his. I wanted to come, to feel what it was like to teleport- Link had taken me here the first time. But he said I wasn't ready yet, so he left without me. The day after, I wanted to go _so_ bad, I did every last motion I could think of to teleport. Then, I went for a ride on my horse, there was a noise, it scared her, and then she jolted back. Next thing I knew, I was warping or something and falling toward an island and I saw you- are you listening? I know this is long, but it's what happened!"

Luigi snapped out of his stare and nodded. Malon made a face. "So…you're from Link's world!"

"Yeah. I said that. Do you know Link?"

Luigi shifted. "Um no…my brother does. He went on an adventure with him before, and he's on one with him right now."

The Hyrulian girl frowned. "Aw, I'm too late…I wanted to go on an adventure with him!" Luigi saw his chance.

"Well, actually, I'm on an adventure of my own! You landing here has got to be fate or something!" Luigi explained. "Would you like to come with me? I promise we'll run into Link sooner or later. In fact, I just saw him a few days ago!"

Malon's face lifted. "Really? That's awesome! Maybe Link will see that I can handle an adventure!"

_Malon-  
HP: 10  
FP: 10  
__Moves:  
Boot Bash (2 damage)  
Bow n' Arrow (2 FP, 4 damage)  
Special Ability: Can use her musical talent to change reality to make things easier for Luigi and call upon her horse, Epini, to go faster._

Malon happily skipped next to Luigi's side. "I'd never thought something like this would happen!"

Luigi shook his head. "I know what you mean. So anyway, I'm trying to locate some compass pieces to find a kidnapped princess and save the Waffle kingdom!"

"…sounds like a beginner's tutorial to an adventure." Luigi made a face. "But that's just what I need!" Luigi perked up.

-----

She and Luigi now walked down the open way to Rumblebump Volcano. Malon was innocent enough to just join without asking many questions, but when the walk got a bit silent, she'd speak up. Luigi whole-heartedly answered all her questions, and telling her she could ask Mario when he didn't know the answer. This pattern went on for most the trip until what sounded like a stampede thundered through the forest.

"What was that?" Malon asked, stopping Luigi. Luigi didn't know, rewound his time on the continent, and shuddered.

_"Back-up…"_ he whispered. Malon didn't have a clue to what he was talking about and just started running. Luigi followed suit. He did manage to look over his shoulder to see they were being chased by a rainbow of Fuzzies, with the one black one he had beat up leading the whole thing.

"They're catching up!" panted Luigi. Malon nodded in agreement, then suddenly stopped.

"Let's take them on!"

"Ahem, WHAT?!"

She pulled out her Bow and Arrow and smirked. "If there's one thing I learned from Link, it's to never turn away from a fight."

Luigi gulped and got a firm grip on his hammer. "Only if you're sure about this…"

The Back Fuzzy bounced up, seeing as they weren't going to run anymore.

"I'll have a bit of mercy on you, suckers! Elite Men, move out!"

Whoever the "Elite Men" were, they left in an instant, leaving the Black Fuzzy, a Green, a Pink, and a Gold.

"You'll get what you deserve, meeeork!"

The Fuzzies were very hyper, and very bent on revenge. Luigi was ready to grab the next way out of there, but Malon's eagerness to fight seemed to keep him calm. With a daring spring of his foot, Luigi twisted into the air and did full and stylish damage to the Black. It hissed angrily and scooted off to the side.

"Show no more mercy, meeeork!"

"I know I won't!" exclaimed Malon, launching an arrow in between the pink's eyes. Pink howled loudly, and shoved Green to the side to ram into Malon and suck away her FP.

"I dare you to try that move again, meeeeeeoork!" she hissed.

Malon plotted to boot bash her into the next century.

"Augh! Get it off! Get it off!" wailed Luigi, struggling to pull Gold away from his face. Eventually the Fuzzy broke free and regained unneeded health. Luigi and Malon glanced at the Green.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Meeeeeeeee-ork!"

It split into two.

"Well,** that's** a downer, I think I'll just go-"

"Don't even think about it Luigi!"

Luigi gave a pout, but jumped onto Pink, lowering its HP to one and causing Luigi to trip a bit. Malon grinned smugly before bashing her boot onto Pink, eliminating another opponent. Black groaned.

"Meeork! Don't let them step all over you!"

The first Green attacked Luigi, the second Malon, and Gold gnawed on Luigi's nose because he thought it was fun to hear him scream like a girl. When Luigi yanked it off and tossed it into a tree, he noticed both their HP and FP were getting pretty low. He pulled out his Compass and stared unsurely at it.

"Well, better now than never to try this out!"

He held it up and shouted "Refresh Direction!" Malon was about to ask what he was doing, before a small breeze swirled around Malon and Luigi. In a flash, everything was all filled up.

"Whoa! How'd you do that?" she gasped. Luigi gave a sheepish grin.

"I actually don't really know, but…"

"Hold that thought."

Luigi clamped his mouth shut as Malon charged forward and launched an arrow at Gold. It hissed and gave a dark glare at her.

"Attack the girl!" ordered Black. All three Fuzzies nodded and charged at Malon. Now that she was fully refreshed, she pulled off two guards on the Greens and a Superguard on the Gold. Gold squealed and toppled to the ground. Malon brought her foot back down from the kick and smirked.

"Yeah! How's that?"

Gold was wearing down fast, and Luigi took the opportunity to finish it off with a mighty hammer swing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Black curse under his breath. This was enough to get him to grin. Once again, Malon flew by him and attacked the first Green one with a Boot Bash. That Green took Malon's HP as the other stole Luigi's. At this rate, it would be an endless cycle!

"This is hopeless! We can't cause enough damage!" moaned Luigi.

"Yet, there's no use in giving up!" Malon retorted back.

Black chortled. "Looks like its checkmate, meeeork!"

"I refuse to be defeated in my first battle!"

Malon jumped up, her dress twirling like a free flower petal, one foot aimed to clonk a Green Fuzzy on the head. When she made contact, she quickly jumped up again and delivered more damage.

"Stylish!"

As Malon spun back to her spot, Luigi felt a tiny bit more confident. The poor beaten up Green Fuzzy was hanging on for dear life, which Luigi quickly ended. Now there was only one left, and they were sure they could defeat it. The final Fuzzy was took weak to clone itself, so it took Luigi's HP to get a bit stronger. Too bad the combined force of the duo finally took it out.

"Yay! I told you we could do it!" Malon laughed while slapping Luigi a high-five. Black Fuzzy stomped up and down, like he was jumping on a hat.

"Nooooo! Meeeork! You're not getting away with this!" he shouted. "I went easy before, but its on now! Elite Men! Roll out!"

The mob of Fuzzies that dispersed before returned on the spot and charged at the duo. This time, they knew they couldn't handle that. Luigi turned heel and screamed at the top of his lungs while Malon stayed put.

"I have an idea!" she announced. _"I hope this works…"_ Pulling out her pipe flute, she played a familiar song that Luigi didn't know anything about. After a quick tune, Malon prayed with all her might that it worked. There was nothing but the sound of the Fuzzy horde.

"C'mon Malon!" called Luigi, already a hundred paces ahead.

"no! This has to work! I can feel it!" Malon shouted back, sensing the rumbling ground below her feet.

"Pah, beginner adventurers, what are ya going to do?" Luigi sighed to himself. He kept running, knowing Malon would be smart enough to get moving by herself. But Malon did not come. Luigi looked back to see the Fuzzies gaining, and the black leader seemed to have an intense smirk. "Malon?"

The knowledge of Malon gone made Luigi slow down, and the approaching threat was catching up. Then, as the main black one wanted to take a bite out of Luigi's heels, a sudden neigh was heard and a medium sized brown horse flew over all the Fuzzies, with Malon riding on top. Without a word, Malon grabbed Luigi's arm and dragged him up onto Epini's back. Luigi was so out of it, he barely knew to grab Malon's waist with his common sense. Now they were rocketing away from the enemy, and getting closer to the volcano a lot faster.

"I told you it would work!" scoffed Malon. "Next time, you'd better trust me!"


	5. Shoot in the White Torpedo

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 4: Shoot in the White Torpedo

Luigi and Malon rode for 45 more minutes, when they saw a small looking town. Luigi knew that meant an inn, and told Malon to kick it into high gear. Malon was just about to, but suddenly Epini disappeared. Both riders bounced onto the ground.

"Ow! What happened?" Luigi wondered, rubbing his rump.

"My Epona's Song must not have been strong enough to keep Epini here forever. The spell probably wore off. Don't worry; I can call on her again when I need her."

"Oh. Okay then."

Luigi was slightly disappointed that the fast transportation was gone, but the nearing town put his spirits up.

"We can get some food and shelter and then head to the volcano!" he exclaimed.

"N-N-not with THAT in the way…" Malon stammered. She pointed to the other end of the path, where a giant Scuttler was waiting on a web for some food.

"Ew! That thing looks gross!" Luigi groaned.

"I usually love animals, but spiders are my exception!" Malon whispered. "We need to find another way _now_…"

The spider seemed to notice them and spread out its fangs. Luigi didn't even know they had fangs! Malon was extremely pale, and got paler as the large tarantula jumped from its web and launched toward her. She screamed, along with Luigi. This was no ordinary Scuttler, Luigi could tell.

Malon inched over to Luigi. "AHHHHHHH!"

Luigi joined in her scream fest, and both grabbed the other for support. Malon buried her face in Luigi's shoulder, with Luigi trying to scare the Scuttler off with his screaming. The monster spider seemed to smirk as it aimed for Luigi's head. Just as it was about to make contact, a white blur brushed against Malon's hair and darted into the Scuttler. Malon looked up and saw a small Blooper land professionally, and the Scuttler regained its composure.

"Eek! This one's practically possessed!" exclaimed the Blooper. Either way, he threw himself again toward the rabid arachnid, and it fell defeated. The Blooper struck a victory pose as Malon ran over to give him a hug.

"Thank you so much! You're so cute and squishy! Awww!" cooed Malon. The Blooper seemed to turn red.

"Wow! I didn't think I'd get an admirer out of that battle!" he chuckled. Malon let him go, yet couldn't stop grinning. "I thought I heard someone guy dying, so I used my Torpedo Throw move to fly in. It turned out to be a messed up Scuttler!"

"It's more than messed up!" Luigi wailed. "…and I was trying to scare it off with my yelps…"

"I'm Malon, and that guy over there is Luigi-" "THAT GUY OVER THERE?!?!" "-What's your name, Little Squid?" Malon asked. The Blooper struck another pose.

"My name's Blooey! But back in my hometown, I'm known as the White Torpedo!" Blooey bragged. "I came here in search of my long lost uncle. He went on his own in town, fell down a hole in the street, and was never seen again. He could be anywhere! So now I'm looking in every part of the world until I find him!"

"That's so sweet of you!" gushed Malon. "Maybe we could help you-"

"-but we have a compass piece to find first!" put in Luigi. Blooey nodded.

"I'd be glad to help! Two adventures in one? Awesome!"

_Blooey-  
HP: 15  
Moves: Torpedo Throw (2 damage)  
Blooper Distraction (2 FP, various damage)_

_Special Ability: Can be thrown to hit far away levers and hit things fast_

"C'mon Blooey; you can follow along behind me!" Malon offered.

"Hey! How come he gets to follow you!?" whined Luigi.

"I feel a good connection with him…it's really weird."

Blooey smiled. "I was thinking the same thing actually. Odd…"

"Blooey, can you guide us to the town?" wondered Luigi.

"Of course! I was just coming from there myself!"

So Blooey guided them down the small remainder of the path, where a islandish town thrived. It was very basic, with an inn, a store, and one house. Luigi sighed at the sight of the inn and ran into it while Malon checked out the store.

"I'll buy…some Mushrooms, a few Honeys, and those Ice Storms look cool since we're headed for a Volcano."

"That'll be 30 Coins mam'." the store Frog said. Malon reached into a pocket and pulled out 15 Rupees.

"Will these cover it?" she wondered. The clerk looked at them and doubled over.

"Those are b-b-beautiful! Of course they'll cover! Probably worth more than 30 Coins around here, but there really isn't anything of value."

Malon gave her trademark smile. "That's okay. You probably deserve it, staying here with very few customers and all."

"Thank you!!!! Please come again!!!!"

Blooey curiously trotted behind Malon who was putting the items in her bag.

"Where did you get those jewels from?" he wondered.

"Where I come from, they're used as money. Green is worth one Rupee, blue is worth 5, yellow 10, red 20, and purple 50. 100 Rupees are either small orange or large green, and there's also a silver 200 piece...but if you really lucky you can get your hands on a gold 300!" replied Malon.

"Wow. Where do you _live_?" gawked Blooey.

"In a far away place…believe it or not, another world…"

Blooey's eyes widened. He believed her; he heard stories of other worlds. He just couldn't take it in. Malon knew this was how he'd react, though she couldn't help but giggle. Blooey shook his head and went with Malon to get Luigi, taking a well-deserved rest. The Inn-Keeper was sitting in a chair, watching Luigi.

"Hm! Come in! I see you've visited my husband's shop." she smiled.

"Hello! We came to get Luigi, but he's obviously still snoozing away…" Malon noted. The Frog was reading a book, yet paying attention to her visitors.

"Me and my husband came here on a vacation and then got stranded here. So we built a house, made our own businesses, and occasionally visitors come."

"How do you live with the volcano?" wondered Blooey.

"My husband was worried it would erupt one day, and left to check it out. When he came back, he discovered there was a secret grotto in there! There were many traps and puzzles, and he almost didn't come back! But at least it didn't erupt!" she explained. Luigi suddenly sprang up.

"Did you say he almost didn't come back?!" he screeched. The inn Keeper nodded. Luigi fainted. Blooey floated over and kicked him gently.

"Get up! There's a Compass Piece we need, and it's not getting any younger!" he demanded.

"Yeah! We gotta get going!" added Malon.

"If you guys are going to gang up on me, then that's not fair!" groaned Luigi, getting up by force.

"Do you good people plan on going up that volcano?" the keeper slowly asked.

"Yes…"

"If you are, then make sure to get the item out of the large chest in the cottage on the far side of the village. My husband built it for us, but soon a strange beast attacked us and it started guarding my husband's prized possesion!"

"But if there's a beast in there, why do we have to go in?" Luigi gagged.

"Because you'll need what's in there to get through the volcano…"

"Ooh…"

"We'll be fine. Thank you for all you've done!" Malon called, walking out the door. Luigi stumbled behind her. He put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Are you crazy!!! Tricks, traps, beasts…lava! I'm not so sure we should do this anymore…" moaned Luigi.

"Are you serious?! When there is someone in need, and it only comes down to you to save them, you just want to give up over what could possibly happen?" retorted Malon. "Think of all the people you'd let down…you'd disgrace your brother, soil the Mario name…"

Luigi put his hand over her mouth. "I've heard enough…let's go save Éclair…"

Malon smiled, and with Blooey trailing behind her, walked next to Luigi and toward the other side of the village. Blooey distracted all the Bumpas, Troopas, and Fuzzies that came their way, making it easier to get to the cottage.

"It looks pretty normal to me!" Malon stated optimistically.

"But what about the b-b-beast?"

"C'mon! Show us the man!" Blooey gritted. Luigi tried to make a muscle, but it ended up deflating in a puff. Blooey smacked his head. Malon pulled out her bow and arrow. "Let's do this."


	6. That Was a Beast to Deal With

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 5: That Was a Beast to Deal With

Luigi cowered behind Malon as Blooey kicked the door to the cottage open.

_"So we get the chest treasure, and then we get back out!"_ Malon whispered.

"There's nothing even in here!!!!" Blooey said loudly.

_"Blooey! Hush!"_ snapped Luigi silently.

_"Everyone, back to back!"_

Luigi instantly went up against Malon's back, and Blooey placed himself kiddie-corner to them.

_"All right…we all move together…"_

Malon took a step; Luigi took a step; Blooey took a step. Malon turned corners; bow and arrow ready to deal damage if necessary.

"I feel like we're getting ready to **annihilate** somebody!!!!!" nearly screamed Blooey.

_"Will you shut up?!"_ both Malon and Luigi snapped.

"Well it's way too quiet!"

Malon and Luigi sent him looks as they continued to navigate the house.

"Maybe the beast decided to leave a long time ago?" suggested Luigi, now passing the bathroom.

"We still need to kept our guard…"

"**_WAH!_**"

"OH MY GOD!"

Luigi and Malon grabbed each other as Blooey chuckled insanely.

"Wow you guys are paranoid…"

They simultaneously let go of each other and threw duct tape onto Blooey's mouth.

"That'll keep him quiet…" muttered Luigi.

"We're almost to the back room anyway…we'll grab what we need and get out…"

They finished what was left of their trek and entered the back room. Inside was nothing but a large chest.

"Wow that's huge…"

"Nice quality work…"

Blooey let out a muffled groan, glancing around the room. When he rotated 180 degrees, his eyes grew.

Luigi and Malon instantly heard a muffled sound wailing like someone was dying. Blooey was practically dancing on top of the chest, head bent down to point behind them.

"What IS it Blooey…" Malon scolded while ripping the duct tape off in one wrist flick.

"Why don't you lo-OOUCH! What the…ooh, I think you tore off my lip…"

"Why are you so riled up Blooey?"

"Oh, no reason…" Blooey mumbled while rubbing his mouth. "Just that the BEAST IS BEHIND YOU!"

"WHAT?!" wailed Luigi, whirling around in the same moment. A massive Rumble (a rhino-lion thing with shark teeth) snarled angrily behind them. The door was suddenly shut, and a bloody murder scream was let out.

"Luigi…" Malon strained, not enjoying going deaf in one ear.

"Sorry…RUN!!!"

The Rumble roared, and the trio instantly tried running in circles around the chest. Blooey jumped out of the ruckus and tried to bash a hole in the wall with his head. Malon managed to get out of sequence and stop in front of the chest.

"ARE YOU GUYS GONNA LET ME _DIE_!?" Luigi shouted, the Rumble trying to take a nip of his backside. "I'm trying to attack, but nothing I do is working!"

Malon lifted open the chest while Blooey started getting a headache. She pulled out a new Bow and Arrow for herself, with a larger number of arrows for an increased attack. She then grabbed a Super Flute, so that her flute would last longer and gave her the Hope Song move, which could raise attack power, defense, or decrease the enemy's attack or defense. The last thing she pulled out she threw to Luigi. Luigi had jumped at this moment, and the Super Boots instantly slipped onto his feet.

"Whoa…" Luigi gasped. He jumped into the air-impressively, of course- then flipped in the air and landed on the Rumble. It roared, sending its horn into Luigi.

"OW! Pointy, pointy, pointy…" he whined. Malon literally jumped off a wall and launch four arrows at it. Blooey joined in with a pretty weak Torpedo…

"Blooey…" Malon sighed, still giving him a hug.

"Take some-a Luigi!" Luigi boasted, doing a Spin Jump one more time on the Rumble. The ground started to rumble, and the rumble collapsed.

"One more time Luigi!" Malon cheered.

Luigi jumped into the air one last time, slightly less off course, yet still manage to finish off the Rumble.

"Whoa…what's happening?" Malon asked as she felt a small surge of power rocket through her.

"We…leveled up! Mario told me all about this!" Luigi exclaimed. "We can choose was we want to level: HP or FP."

"I'm taking HP after that fiasco!"

"Yeah, me too…"

After the leveling up ceremony, Luigi grabbed Malon, and Malon grabbed Blooey, who had a headache and was going on about muffins or something.

"Let's get to the volcano before we die before we get there!"

"Ditto…"

There was no way they were turning back now.

----

"It's a little warm…" Luigi wheezed, already half-way up the volcano side. Malon and Blooey were struggling to walk up the steep ramp that wrapped its way around the funnel-shaped rock.

"No…I thought it'd be pretty cold…since we're heading into a volcano!" screeched Blooey sarcastically.

"No need to be so negative Blooey…" Malon scolded. Blooey pouted. Luigi lifted his hat to rid his forehead of beads of sweat. He held out what he had of the Marvelous Compass, glowing brighter with every step.

"Must…find…the secret…grotto…" he murmured. Luigi kept taking steps, until he accidentally hit a bad spot. The ground beneath him crumbled, and Luigi fell with a girlish scream.

"Ah! What are we going to do?" Blooey cried. Malon didn't overreact and pulled out her pipe flute. She quickly played a Reality Song, which was also a bit…rocky. Luigi was flailing his arms about, desperate to grab onto the side of the volcano. Malon's song suddenly started to take effect, and Luigi stopped falling. The rocks fixed themselves onto the path, and Luigi was placed back to safety.

"Wow…that's one magic flute!" Blooey exclaimed. Malon smiled and placed her up-graded instrument back into her pocket.

"thank you!"

Luigi was in a daze. "Unh…that's definitely a knee-shaker!" He was practically shaking while trying to walk. Malon ran to his side and kept him stable. She played Epini's Song again, had Epini teleport next to them, and put Luigi onto her back. Malon climbed next to him, and Blooey in between. Now with a faster way to get up the volcano side, the team of three rode up to the Grotto entrance.

"Now it's hot!" Blooey yelped, just barely dodging a little splash of lava. Malon quickly moved him out of the way.

"What's the plan, Luigi?" Malon asked. Luigi turned around.

"Why ya asking me!?"

"You're the leader! You call the shots!"

Luigi's pupils shrank. "Me? Leader…" Next thing you know, there was a explosion and a spinning rainbow behind Luigi.

"I'M THE LEADER! YEAH!" He had a chibi anime face on as Malon and Blooper sweat dropped.

"That's nice, but I'd_ love_ to know what we're going to do next!" Blooey grumbled. Luigi turned to his partner's partner.

"It's quite obvious we work our way to the center of the volcano! With this Conveniently Placed Map-" Luigi took the map off the wall and showed it to him. "-We can find our way. Now…the volcano has two levels, with three rooms. In each room is a certain button we need to push to unlock the door that leads to the very bottom level, where all the heat for the lava is stored. Also, that's where the compass piece is located."

Malon looked over the map and nodded. "Very good Luigi…except you forgot to mention all the traps in each room. Each room has a different theme…but I can't tell what's what…"

"Oh well! Time to start adventuring!" Blooey said positively. He floated down the walkway into the first room, with Malon dragging Luigi behind her.

"Wait Blooey! You might accidentally activate the trap in that room!" Malon called. Luigi let out a yelp of fear. Blooey whirled around to rejoin his group, only for him to scream in agony. The room suddenly lit up in a bright blinding light.

"AH!! I think my pupils disappeared!" screamed Blooey.

"We're coming-Ouch! Who turned the light switch on?!?!" yelped Malon.

"Apparently Blooey…" said Luigi wearing a pair of sunglasses. "You find your partner, and I'll find the button of this room. Malon nodded, and blindly felt around for her blooper. Blooey kept screaming, half to help Malon, and half from the frying pain in his eyes.

"Hang on Blooey!" Malon cried, reaching randomly out. She gripped something, and instantly pulled it.

"Omph!" muffed Luigi.

"sorry. I thought you were Blooey…"

Luigi stood back up, feeling the walls and floors for some kind of button. Malon eventually found Blooey, shielded his eyes, and he stopped screaming. His eyes gradually returned back to normal. Luigi accidentally tripped over Malon and Blooey, who were sitting down, and smashed into the wall. This section of the wall happened to be where the button was, and an odd rumbling could be heard and felt from below as the lights slowly dimmed.

"Excellent Luigi! One down, five to go!" Malon praised.

"yes, all part of my plan!"

Blooey stared at him with disbelief until the plumber eventually cringed and headed for the next room. Malon shrugged and followed ,with Blooey following her. What _were_ they getting into…


	7. It's Getting Hot in Here

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 6: It's Getting Hot in Here

The three small-time heroes finally made their way to the second room, Blooey especially aware of everything going on. Malon told him to calm down, but he wasn't taking any chances after his experience. Luigi bravely led them through the area, barely on the lookout.

"What do you think the theme of this one is?" Luigi asked his crew.

"I hope it doesn't involve lights…" shivered Blooey. As if on cue, Malon, who was in deep thought, accidentally hit the next trap activator. There was a whirling sound, and all three were immediately blown to the opposite wall of the button to turn off the fan. Luigi slammed into the wall first, then Malon next to him, and Blooey landed on Malon.

"Ow! Watch it!" she snapped.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I purposefully meant to be blown away and slam into you!"

_"Sarcastic squid…"_

"WHAT did you say unworthy plumber!?"

"HEY!" Malon screamed over the roar of the fan. Luigi and Blooey stopped bickering to stare at Malon. "Okay, the fan is blowing at us with a force strong enough to push us against the wall. If we can somehow get enough speed, we can hit the button and turn it off. Any ideas?"

Luigi pondered for a brief moment, and was about to speak, but Blooey beat him to the punch.

"You could throw me! I'm fast enough!" he stated.

"Wow, that's actually pretty good. My idea was to call Mario!"

Malon stared blankly at Luigi who grinned sheepishly. She grabbed Blooey, sort of flopped on her side, swung her arm, then catapulted Blooey toward the button. Living up to his name, he shot like a white torpedo into the button, switching the fan off. Luigi landed back on the ground stylishly, then grabbed Malon's hand to help keep her balance. Blooey floated next to them as the underground rumble could be heard again.

"Well, another room down!" Malon stated cheekily.

"Yeah, I'm just afraid of what this volcano will throw at us next!" Luigi trembled.

"Aw, sack up a little! What kind of a man are you?" Blooey scoffed.

"Blooey, why do you have to be so mean?"

Blooey shrugged and said it was how he was. Malon shook her head and followed Luigi into the next room. It was simply a…room.

"Hey! Maybe this one isn't rigged!" Luigi cried out. He was so excited at the thought he believed it was true. The sound, however, activated the next trap. A mountain of enemies fell on top of him with lightning zapping everywhere.

"Way to jinx it Luigi!" Blooey huffed. Luigi muttered something from under a Fuzzy and shoved as much of the enemies he could away. All the foes got off the floor and instantly aimed for Malon and Blooey. Malon pulled out the bow and arrow that Link had given her and took correct aim at as many targets as she had arrows. Blooey would bloop over to the side and spiral into five enemies at once. Then he would slip and fall to make them laugh and distract them while Malon delivered some more damage. When she ran out of arrows (which means she ran out of FP) she started to step on everything with a nasty boot bash.

"Find the button Luigi! The enemies seem to keep on coming!" Blooey called, plowing into a Pyro Guy. Luigi nodded seriously and scanned the room. There was no buttons on the walls, and all the lightning seemed intent on turning him into barbeque.

"Aw man! Where is it suppose to be-" Luigi was cut off by the sight of a large red button on the back of a rather large Spiny, known in the Waffle Kingdom as Pointies. The Pointy crawled over to Malon and Blooey, whose attacks weren't working. Luigi snickered, rocketed into the air, and slammed his boots into the back of the shell. The button was pushed, and the rest of the enemies disappeared via lightning shock. The Pointy flopped over onto its back, and Malon shot her last arrow at it.

"Whew…totally wiped me out," panted Malon.

"Sorry. That was a trick room. Honey Syrup?" Luigi offered, also picking up a Thunder Bolt that dropped from the ceiling. Malon swiped it, chugged it, wiped her mouth, and pointed to stairs leading to the next floor. They were a bit twisty, and had the occasional spirt of lava every now and then. They all seemed to target Blooey for some reason, but Malon always kept him out of harm's way.

"Ugh, does this _ever_ end?" Blooey complained. Luigi was about to answer, until he tripped over the last step and tumbled into the next room.

"That'd be a yes…" giggled Malon. She and Blooey hurried to catch up with Luigi, only to fall into a dark area.

"Is this supposed to be the next trap? A dark room?" Malon coughed.

"Not only that, but there are more traps where you can't see…" Luigi wheezed.

"Luigi! Where are you?"

"In a trap…"

"oh man…how are we supposed to find the button?" Blooey whined. "Is it over…Wha!"

"Blooey?"

_"I'm afraid to move…"_ Blooey whispered. Malon smacked her head. She pulled out her flute.

"Okay, volcano! If you call this funhouse a trap, then you are sadly pathetic!"

She played a light tune, quickly brightening up the room. It revealed that Blooey was in a hole just barely touching spikes, and Luigi dangling upside down like Blooey was in the first room.

"Wow…this one was lame."

"That probably means that the next one will be mega difficult because your guard is down…Mario taught me that!"

Malon spotted the button directly next to her, slammed it, saved Blooey, untied Luigi, and started into the fifth room. Luigi shouted at her to be careful.

"I'd take your advice to heart, but every challenge before wasn't hard, and what would make this one any different?"

"A lot of things."

"How could she leave me with Luigi?!?" Blooey complained.

"Get over it! C'mon! we need to go get Malon before she ends up eating her own words!" Luigi snatched up Blooey and took off full speed. Blooey flopped helplessly behind him. Luigi heard a faint cry, and instantly braked when a wall of fire flashed in front of his face and nearly fried his stache'.

"Malon!?" Blooey screamed.

They dashed into the room once the fire died down, almost falling into the vast watery fate Malon did. She frantically waved her arms about, attempting to stay above water.

"Be careful! It's an under toe!" she screamed, the water slowly pulling her under. Luigi prepared to jump after her, but the words "under toe" echoed throughout his mind. He turned to Blooey.

"You're a blooper! Shouldn't you be able to swim down and save her?!?" he questioned. Blooey had already done said action. Luigi could only look on as Blooey expertly dived into the water. What kind of a volcano has a water pit anyway? Luigi impatiently waited for someone to surface, only to locate a Shine Sprite trapped in a box on the opposite ledge. He quickly circled the room to get to it, hit it, and safely placed it in his bag.

Blooey swished between the swirling waves dragging him down. Luckily, he had more power over it than it had over him. He spotted Malon unconscious, floating slowly down into the trap.

"I'm never coming to the freakish island again!" Blooey yelped, swimming under Malon and lifting her to the surface. Just as he was about to resurface, Blooey realized the button to the room was at the bottom of the water pit. He tossed Malon ashore and dramatically dived back to hit it. Luigi ran back to revive Malon.

"Malon! I told you not to run straight in here! It's too early in our adventure for you to do this!" sobbed Luigi. Malon suddenly sat up and coughed, sputtering out water in the process.

"Please don't tell me I passed out again!" Luigi grinned and shook his head. Malon smacked hers. "I so totally wasn't meant for adventure…sorry Luigi…"

Luigi told her to perk up. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't meant for adventure either! I also don't think it's going to take a day to become experts either…so together, we'll be the best darn adventures ever!"

Malon nodded firmly, and as Luigi helped her back up, Blooey arrived.

"Hey Love Doves! I hit the button! Let's hit the last one so we can get the Compass Piece and get out of here!" the blooper called.

"We are not Love Doves! Get back here, Blooey!" Malon shouted, running after her partner. Luigi stared at her for a few moments, then hurried to follow. The last room seemed innocent, just like all the other ones. Malon, Luigi, and Blooey cautiously explored the room.

"Don't let your guard down this time Malon…" Luigi grumbled. Malon nodded seriously. All three of them collided back to back, keeping a sharp eye out for anything suspicious.

"I…think this one is actually pretty safe!" Blooey stated.

"Don't say that you'll jinx us!" Malon snapped. As if on cue, they stepped on the Trap-tivation Switch, and instantly random sections of the floor shot up from the ground, plowed into the ceiling, and slowly retreated back to the floor. Another round of floor went to raise the roof.

"We need to be careful and not step on a part of the floor that's going to- OH MY GODDESSSES!"

Malon stopped in mid-sentence and started flying up toward her doom. Luigi and Blooey grabbed her hands at the last moment to try and save her, but it only brought the trouble upon them too.

"Why does everything bad happen to me!" she cried. She dug into her pocket-with her Blooey arm, whipped out her whistle, and played a note so heart stopping, it made Luigi and Blooey let go just so they could breathe. The rock trap immediately froze just before Malon was smashed.

"That was way too close!" she thought, still playing the note. Malon slunk off the trap, noticed Blooey hitting the very last button, and Luigi making a break for it. The poor girl couldn't blow anymore and this resulted in the doorway being blocked from her.

"Hey! Let me out! What the…" she yelled, kicking and hitting the door. "I can't play my flute for another 15 minutes!"

Luigi and Blooey, still running for their lives, finally stopped to take a breather.

"Woo, that was a close one, huh Malon?" Blooey asked, turning around. No Malon. "Hey Luigi?"

"yeah?" wheezed the plumber, slouched against the wall.

"Where's Malon?"

"I thought she was with you…"

"Oh my God…"

Luigi and Blooey stared at each other for 3 minutes straight. Just as they went to sprint back, all 6 buttons began to glow. The area Luigi and Blooey were in lit up in a rainbow force field, preventing them from going back. The entire volcano shook violently, sending an unstable Luigi to the ground.

"What's going on?!?!" Luigi screamed.

"I think we're being teleported to the bottom of the volcano where all the heat is stored! That's probably the place where the Compass Piece is!" shouted Blooey.

"But what about Malon…" Luigi sighed. Just then, there was a loud cry, louder than Luigi's, and the sound of a block breaking. Malon's boot stuck out before her, and she quickly ran after Luigi and Blooey. She jumped through the force field.

"Before you go screaming and running away like a frightened little girl, try waiting for your entire team to be with you!" she scolded, obviously angry. "I nearly broke my foot, and it's going to take a lot for me to forgive you!"

Luigi put up his hands. "I'm sorry, okay! I'm chicken! And now we're going to get the Compass Piece and get out of here!"

"um…maybe not…" Blooey pointed out as they reached the bottom level.

"What are you talking about?"

Blooey pointed over to a small pool of Lava where a 100-Foot tall rock creature with a brightly lit gem arose. It let out a deafening roar, nearly giving Luigi an accident.

"Something tells me we have to fight that…" Malon hummed. "…and fight that we will!"

Luigi fainted.


	8. Gollassus: Gets BURNED…With Blooey!

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 7: Gollassus: Gets BURNED…With Blooey!

When Luigi finally came to, he gave a tip of his hat to try and look cool.

"I think it's a bit late for that, eh?" Blooey snickered.

"Don't mock him!" Malon scolded. "Now let's take this fiend down!"

Gollassus, the statute's name, had 25 HP. Luigi began the battle with a courageous jump, but no damage was done. He swore he heard Gollassus chuckle madly.

"What gives?" he complained.

"He must have some high defense…"

"Or Luigi has no skill…"

"BLOOEY!"

"I'm just kidding! Sheesh…"

Blooey backed off, and torpedoed into Gollassus's leg. Nothing happened there either.

"Ha! Talk about_ me_ not doing anything!" Luigi dissed. Blooey muttered something nasty. Before Malon attacked, she took the time to consider the enemy. The red gem seemed suspicious… Launching an arrow at the red spot, she grinned when it took a whopping 5 out of him.

"Sweet! I found the weakness!" Malon cheered. While she was dancing, Gollassus clenched a huge fist and prepared to bring it down on Malon. At the moment of truth, Malon ducked, reducing the attack's effect. Luigi couldn't do any damage, so he simply pounded his hammer on the boss's toe.

"Ha ha! It tickles!" chortled Gollassus. Luigi made a face. Blooey tried to torpedo the gem, but he couldn't get high enough. Malon shot another arrow, destroying another 5 which brought him down to 15. Gollassus's gem started to glow, and it sent a laser beam to fry Luigi. Luigi didn't block it, and had 4 drained from him. The cycle of Luigi and Blooey missing, and Malon taking away five continued two more times, when Gollassus reached only 5 HP. He summoned a large amount of fire into his fists, and while the gem was glowing, thrust each of the death traps into Malon. Malon screamed as she was propelled backward, rendering her unable to battle for two turns.

"Oh no! Without Malon, we're not able to land any hits!" cried Luigi.

"I know! My torpedo move could wipe out the last of his HP, but I can't get high enough…"

"I can jump pretty high, but without some extra distance I can't do anything either…"

**IDEA.**

Luigi turned to Blooey. "Hey…what if I throw you?!"

"Say what……….."

"C'mon! I'll jump high enough so you can fly into the gem! It's perfect! Nothing can go wrong!"

"Except for the fact I don't trust you to the slightes extent…"

Nevertheless, Blooey climbed up into Luigi's hand.

"Be careful!" Malon called from the sidelines, putting out a fire in her dress. Luigi nodded, and sprung into the air, heaving Blooey when he was at the peak.

"All you man!" Luigi cheered, trying to cover up the fact he had stumbled a bit, throwing Blooey slightly off course.

"Whoo! I'm going to make it! Yesss! Good-bye, stupid giant statue-OOOOOOOOO! I'M GONNA DIE!" Blooey wailed on his way down. Luigi had overshot the head, sending Blooey over Gollassus's shoulder. Malon screamed as he plunged headfirst into the lava. There was a "hiss…" sound, and Blooey washed back on shore, now with a crispy brown tan.

"Blooey! You're alive!" Malon screeched, instantly flying over and crushing him in a hug.

"AH! Stop! It burns!!!!!" he sobbed.

"hey, it hurts me too! It shows how much I care about you…"

Blooey blushed, but eventually wriggled out of the hug. Luigi stood on the sidelines, violently whistling. Blooey turned to him, and let loose on all words. Malon never even heard half the words in her life! Luigi could bet his meager life savings that some of the things he was saying were illegal. They were getting so violent, he swapped to Bloop-ish so that Luigi couldn't understand. His rant was over when Gollassus started spewing fire everywhere. Malon grabbed Blooey and followed Luigi in running around in circles trying to avoid it.

"C'mon Luigi! I can't attack for one more turn; you have to at least hit him or something!" Malon ordered.

"fine!"

"I know who **I'll** hit…"

"Save it for after we get the compass piece…"

Blooey grunted, but obeyed. Luigi and Blooey attacked just to get it out of the way. Their opponent then swung his fist into Luigi, taking away another four.

"Gah! I'm in danger!" he sobbed.

"Not for long!" Malon giggled, stepping back into the fight, bow and arrow raised. It was a dead clear shot up to the gem, and when the arrow made contact, the gem shattered, Gollassus crumbled into a thousand bricks, and Malon and Luigi leveled up again.

"FP." both said simultaneously. They giggled until they saw the gem of Gollassus, slightly cracked from all of Malon's arrows. It simply shattered, and the Marvelous Compass Piece arose out of the broken glass. Luigi placed it into the base, and the compass blazed into a brilliant white light. When the light dimmed, Luigi and Malon saw it led the to a village of plump people.

"I…get the feeling that it's called Plumpbelly Village…on the Strudel Continent!" Luigi gasped. "It's like something inside of me just…knew that!"

A shock went up Luigi's arms again, and this time, he learned the Compass Move, Frozen North, also raising his CP to two.

"Cool!"

"Where was this "Frozen North" move when we needed it?" sighed Malon.

"Is it just me, or does this volcano have a stomach ache, if you catch my drift…" Blooey stated. Luigi and Malon stopped talking and noticed that when Gollassus collapsed, it must've set off the volcano!

"We need to go! Now!" Luigi yelled. There was a loud boom, and the rock beneath their feet cracked. Lava flowed between the cracks. There was no escape.

"We're screwed."

"Don't say that Blooey!"

The lava started to bubble and shake, spattering around their legs. Luigi was seriously craving a paper bag at this moment. The volcano finally gave one last loud rumble before there was an explosive boom and the threesome shot up the top on their little rock. Luigi and Blooey grabbed Malon for support.

"ugh, MUST I do everything!?"

"Um, yeah! You have the magic flute!"

Malon smacked her head, yet started to play. It was a smooth and soothing song, that seemed to calm the volcano's anger. The lava that was pushing up to the surface moved from under them, freaking Luigi and Blooey out. The slab of rock floated up all by itself, while the lava rotated in many forms around them. Frankly, it was actually quite beautiful. They made it out of the top of the volcano, and Malon softened up the music. The surrounding lava was slowly lowered back into the volcano, and Malon rested their rock on the side of the mouth.

"that was cool Malon!" Blooey finally stated. Malon giggled and bowed. Luigi just sighed.

"C'mon! We've gotta get to Plumpbelly Village!" Malon urged. "I'd like to call Epini, but I used up all the flute's magic for now, so we've got a long way ahead of us…"

Luigi didn't mind. He needed to think about some things anyway…


	9. The Nutty Proposal

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 8: The Nutty Proposal

Huckleberry grinned as he envisioned Luigi and Malon getting the first compass piece. He already knew they would, of course, but seeing it in present time made it seem a lot more special. He turned to tell Éclair the good news, but was surprised when she was poking around the walls.

"What are you doing Princess?" the Luff spirit asked.

"I'm trying to see if there's a secret passage in here! I want to get out and find out about who kidnapped me…"

Huckleberry hid a smirk as helped her search for a weak stone or something. When she was on the other side of the room, busy with checking under the bed, Huckleberry floated up toward the ceiling and tapped a reddish block. Éclair gasped as she heard the wall suddenly start to fall.

"Wow! You found it!"

"Yep! With no help at all…"

Éclair looked at him like he was nuts, but shrugged and walked down the available path.

"Quiet...we don't what that monster has in this castle…"

"Right…"

They made their way down the dark and dank hallway, unsure of what was to come. They started to hear thrashing as they got closer to the bottom. It was terrible- a devastating growl from something that definately wasn't human, or humanoid. After that, a sharp slash cut through what was probably cloth with a sickening tear. Éclair gasped at the terrifying sounds and started walking backward.

"What…**is** that?" she huffed, barely able to get out breath.

"Calm down Éclair…if you want to find the truth, you have to be brave…"

He noted that her compass piece started to glow.

"Yes. I understand. Let's keep going…"

Éclair, with her newfound courage, finished the trek and stuck her head around the corner.

"Huckleberry…look!"

Huckleberry, of course, already knew what was there, but did so for the princess's sake. There, was a big, brown, furry monster with large fangs dripping with green toxic ooze ramming itself into a wall. It started wailing a deranged scream, followed by cutting at the nearest curtain, and Éclair was up the stairs faster than Huckleberry could see what would happen next.

-----

"Is…THAT was kidnapped me?"

"You don't know?"

"No…I was in my room, getting all ready for my wedding, and there was a crash…and next thing you know, I was in a bag until I was dumped here. I saw nothing."

_"Ooh, she's gonna break when she find out who that is…"_

Huckleberry nodded, ignoring his thoughts. "So I see…"

"It was going to be such a_ wonderful_ wedding…I'm engaged to the Chestnut King…his name is Charles, by the way…"

Huckleberry sat on the foot of the bed. "I bet he's wonderful-"

Éclair squealed. "Ooh he IS! He SO handsome, he's funny, he's got this perfect smile…he's chestnut-roasting awesome!"

Huckleberry raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Éclair sighed then turned on her side.

"I remember when he proposed to me…we were standing on the balcony of his castle-which is on another world, by the way. He just ended up moving to the Mushroom World. He loves me that much!"

"Cool! Inter-dimensional wedding!"

Éclair giggled. "The sun was setting on a warm fall night, and he suddenly took my hand. I smiled, thinking it was just for the romantic occasion. But then, he suddenly bent down on one knee and pulled out a cobalt blue velvet little box, with a chestnut ring inside."

She held up her right ring finger, showing Huckleberry a chestnut sized amber jewel on a gold band. Huckleberry whistled.

"I'm very happy for you, you know…"

"thank you…if only I could be happy again. I'm stuck in a room, and I can't get out because that thrashing thing is in that room…and I bet the Chestnut King is worried sick about me…"

Huckleberry gave a soft, reassuring smile. "No matter what situation he and you are in, I'm sure he's always thinking about you first, trust me."

Éclair couldn't be upset anymore and smothered Huckleberry in a hug.

"Thank you. You're making this stay a whole lot easier to deal with…"

"I'm just doing my job!"

How much closer to the truth could you get?

* * *

**The last shorter Eclair chapter. Her story gets a little deeper next time, and as we go. I know you were expecting that-maybe- but you also sohuld expect how I hate short chapters...especially by me XD**


	10. On the Way to Plumpbelly

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 9: On the Way to Plumpbelly

The gang had just come down from the volcano, and ran into the Inn to take a nice long rest from their volcano expedition. Of course, Luigi snored away while Malon and Blooey hung around to wait in a rocking chair. Blooey was complaining that Luigi had given him a perfect sun tan in less than 30 seconds. Malon told him he looked fine, even if he did smell like fish sticks. The Inn Keeper overheard their conversation and chuckled.

"sounds like you kids had quite a time!" she mused.

"Yeah. It was pretty hectic!" Malon admitted.

"If only I was a little stronger! I wouldn't have landed in that lava!" Blooey hissed.

"Hmm…I think I might have something that could assist you!" the Inn Keeper stood up, and rummaged in a cupboard. She pulled out a small little ball of sunshine called a Shine Sprite. "Here! You'll be able to go to a special place in Rogueport to help you little blooper friend get even stronger!"

Malon jumped up. "Really? Thank you so much!" She took it, and place it gently in her pocket.

"Will it be able to make me white again?" Blooey hoped.

"Uh…I don't think so."

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Blooey's constant wailing finally woke Luigi up. Blooey, in his fit of rage, attacked Luigi.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"AUGH!"

Malon laughed nervously. "Heh heh…thanks for everything! We'll be sure to come back soon! Bye!"

She dragged the two guys out the door, all with the Inn Keeper grinning away.

----

"Hi Bosco!" Luigi called, returning to the dock. "I've brought a few more passengers!"

Bosco, waiting in his ship, grinned an old man smile. "How nice! May I ask your name, fine lass?"

Malon giggled. "My name is Malon! Very nice to meet you!"

"I'm Blooey, once known as the White Torpedo…but not anymore thanks to** Luigi**…" added Blooey. Luigi grinned sheepishly.

"Uh…we need to go to the Strudel Continent this time around! Mind taking us there?"

"Not at all, Master Luigi! But…don't you want to go to Rogueport and see how Mario and Link are doing?"

Malon perked up. "Link! I want to see Link! I want to show him how I'm doing on my own adventure!"

"Yeah! I wanna go so I can get buffed up!"

Bosco understood. "Do you have three Shine Sprites? The guy who does that needs three of 'em…"

Malon sagged. "We only have two…"

Bosco smiled. "No worries, Lass Malon. I'll give you the one I found while I was out exploring a little!"

He handed her the object, and while she basked in its beauty, Bosco pulled away from the dock and set course for Rogueport.

-----

"Ew! _This _is Rogueport?! At least it was properly named…ick…" complained Malon.

"Well…not all cities can be great…" said Bosco.

"Oh well. C'mon guys! Luigi, you'll need to show me where the Shine Sprite shop is."

Luigi shrugged. "all right. That's around the place where I first saw Mario and Link."

Bosco wished them luck, and they took off. Malon was completely disgusted with the entire city, but perked up when she got a glimpse of the west side.

"I'd like to go there soon…" she sighed.

"Focus! More power…more power!" Blooey chanted. Malon gave a blank stare to Luigi.

"I think you messed up his head…"

"I think it was from his ramming into the wall!"

Nevertheless, Luigi changed the subject by pointing to the Sprite house. Malon squealed in happiness and dashed inside, Blooey on her heels. She barely gave the man inside a chance to speak before tossing all three Shine Sprites at him and showing him Blooey.

"Well! A bit anxious, are we?!" he grouched. Nevertheless, he leveled Blooey up.

_Blooey-  
HP: 20  
Moves: _

_Torpedo Throw: (4 damage)  
Blooper Distraction: (2 FP, No damage)  
Dinky Inky: (3 FP, 3 damage, can also poison, shrink, or make the enemy dizzy)_

"Yes! I can feel the power surging through me!" he cried.

"Great! Now leave. I have a feeling I'll be seeing some more customers very soon…"

Malon nodded, and exited the building. "Blooey, go tell Luigi to wait for me by that fence on the Main Plaza. I have something I need to do…"

"alright! I'll try not to strangle him…" Blooey sighed, going off to carry out the request. Luigi was staring at a huge chest just sitting on a large wooden beam. Blooey came up to him, Luigi flinched in fear, and the blooper explained what Malon had told him. Luigi shrugged, and stood at said spot.

"I heard they have Super Shrooms on the West Side! HURRY!" called Link's voice.

"Good heavens! Slow down! This body hasn't felt such drama in a long time!" shouted a purple floating woman.

"Link! How could you leave without me!" Koops whined.

"Wait, there's Luigi again with…a deep-fried blooper?" Goombella questioned. Blooey had a cow.

Mario was the last to arrive, and quickly waved to Luigi. Link and everyone else joined him.

"So Luigi, enjoying you big bad adventure?" Link teased.

Luigi folded his arms and smirked. "Yes I am! And you'd be surprised to see who I'm traveling with!"

"Fried sea-food?" guess Koops.

"NO!"

"Luigi! I'm back!" called Malon. Link instantly heard her voice and raised an eyebrow at Luigi. Luigi gave an "I-told-you-so".

"Malon?" Link wondered, as if he didn't believe his eyes. Malon waved back.

"Hi Link! I'm on an adventure of my own! I teleported here all by myself, and you weren't there to stop me!" Malon smirked. "Not to mention I saved the day a few times…"

Link had no words. He finally thought of something after several minutes of silence. "Why…with Luigi?! You're going to die! Your father will have my head if he learned you followed me in a teleporting adventure!"

"You're not the boss of me! You wouldn't take me with you on your little vacation, so I'm going on one of my own! I bet you're just jealous! Speaking of, where are all your friends at?"

Link felt the hole in his heart tear. Koops, Goombella, and Flurrie all gave terrified looks and pulled their fingers across their necks. Mario took five steps backward. Malon regretted every word. Link took a deep breath and asked Luigi to tell them what happened.

"Like I said, it's a long story, but…

**An HOUR later…**

Link's jaw was practically broken from the constant dropping, and everyone else was sleeping.

"Malon…you're going home! Even if I have to take you!" he instantly said.

"NO! Even if you do, I'll just teleport back!"

"Not unless I tell your dad!"

Blooey quickly interfered. "Hey there…I'm Blooey!"

Link gawked at the tan blooper. "_So_?"

Malon jumped in front of him. "Leave him alone! This is my Soul Partner! You know all about that, I'm sure…"

Link's eye twitched. Bombette…

"Exactly. So you can't take her away from me!" Blooey motioned toward Luigi. "This guy is a total liar! Don't listen to him! You heard his story right?"

"Yeah! Malon was hurt, abandoned, nearly drowned…"

"I told you, he was LYING!…but anyway, Luigi DID try to throw me, but he completely tripped! And what happens? I end up landing in lava! LAVA, man! Do you think that feels good!? Thanks to him, you can stick a fork in me! I'm well-done! I'll never forgive this guy! If it wasn't for Malon saving the day with her arrows, Luigi would be dead by now! I'm gonna make him pay even if it takes my entire lifetime! YOU'LL PAY, LUIGI!"

"Besides his revenge, the other reasons he's staying is because he wants to protect me, and keep me safe. If he can survive lava, them I'm sure I'll be able to make it out safely too, huh?" Malon finished. Link thought it over deeply.

"…all right…but if something happens to you, someone'll get it!" Link confirmed, sending Luigi a warning look. Luigi waved his hand to tell him it would be fine.

"By the way…have you guys just so happen to see a large blooper swimming in…a sewer?" asked Blooey.

Mario nodded.

"Yeah! It sounds like the one we sent into the ceiling before we left for Pedal Meadows!" Goombella stated. Blooey's face curled into a snarl.

"YOU HURT MY UNCLE!"

"Whoa! There goes your adventure down the drain…into the sewer!" Luigi joked. Not even Link laughed.

"Now I have_** two**_ targets on my list!"

Blooey jumped up at Mario's group, bur Malon quickly pulled him out of the air. "_Really_ great to see you Link, and Mario, but we have to go Plumpbelly Village now so…see ya next time!"

Malon struggled to keep Blooey in her grasp, while Luigi just shook his head while following behind.

"What have I let Malon into?" Link sighed.


	11. Married for Taste

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 10: Married for Taste

"…and he was trying act like he was the boss of me! "_Oh, I'm gonna tell your dad!"_ What's up with that?!?!"

"Calm down Malon! He was just looking out for you…**and** murdered my uncle!"

"They didn't know Blooey, don't give them too much trouble…"

"Then I'll give it all to you like you gave me this tan!"

"I'm not a liar either! What made you think you could go and say that?!"

"It's true, ya old jerky a-"

"Don't make me turn this boat around!"

"Sorry Bosco…"

Bosco gave a firm nod and continued over the vast ocean. It was going to be an overnight trip, which meant they had to sleep on the boat. Blooey was the first to collapse, snuggling up on Malon. Malon giggled softly and hugged him like a teddy bear. Luigi didn't show any signs of being tired, due to being deep in thought. Malon tried to stay awake with him, but she tumbled into sleep very slowly. Her head landed on Luigi's shoulder when she was fully unconscious. Luigi didn't bother to move.

"How can you drive all night Bosco?" Luigi asked, trying to start up a light conversation. Bosco let out an amused hum.

"Years and years of practice…and patience. You get used to blocking out the urge to sleep eventually…"

He turned to give Luigi a smile, but Luigi just seemed so down. "What's the matter with you Master Luigi? You seem a big saggy…"

Luigi turned his head away from Bosco. "I feel like I'm endangering Malon…and Blooey. I'm afraid me and my klutzy antics will get them hurt…I already cooked Blooey, just think of what I could do to Malon!"

"You seem to care a lot about Lass Malon, don't cha?"

"Well of course! She's my friend and…I know where this is going. Don't even _think_ about it Bosco!"

"Heh heh, sorry. You catch some shut eye . I'll be fine."

Luigi yawned, and nodded. He felt snug and warm, considering Malon's hair was making a nice blanket…

-------

Luigi's eye's fluttered open just as dawn cracked. Or, at least, that's what he thought.

"It's about time you woke up!" Malon chuckled, serving Blooey a sandwich. "It's already lunch time!"

"I'm not hungry. It's going to remind me of meat, then fried food, then…me!" Blooey moaned dramatically. Luigi rolled his eyes.

"So you're well done now. You're going to be like that, so get used to it!" Luigi grunted.

"…ah! You're right! I'm going to be eaten by some jungle beast!"

"Luigi! Stop giving Blooey daymares!"

Bosco heard them starting up again, so he told them he spotted the Strudel Continent. Everyone instantly sat down and shut up. Bosco was proud his plan had worked. But, in truth, they really were approaching the continent.

"We'll be arriving soon! So be prepared!"

**Soon-**

"If you need me, I'll be waiting here!"

"See you soon Bosco!" Malon called, waving.

"All right! Let's go get that Compass Piece!" Luigi cheered. There was a nice clear path, leading them straight to the village. "This is going to be super easy!"

"Yeah okay…that's what you said when you threw me into-oh I don't know…LAVA?!" Blooey hissed.

"I didn't say that! I said "All you man!"" protested Luigi. Malon stopped moving and turned to them both.

"You wanna know what I said?! SHUT UP!" she roared. Both males became dumbstruck. "Blooey, I know you have an extreme grudge against Luigi, and Luigi, I know you would have never dreamed of doing that, but seriously, just give it a REST! Good Lord!"

Luigi passed out from being overwhelmed with the rant. Blooey laughed at him. While he was laughing, he happened to turn his head to see a snake looking creature slither up to them. "Uh-oh. We've got company, and it doesn't look pleasant…"

Luigi snapped out of it. "What a _snake_…get it? Snake…and he **is** a snake?"

Everyone, including the snake, stared at him. Luigi laughed nervously and began the battle. The Snake (AKA Hissy) had 10 HP. He started off with a nasty Hammer hit, Malon an arrow, and Blooey with his Torpedo. The Hissy sank into the ground and sprung up like a Piranha Plant, biting Luigi and poisoning him with venom. Luigi staggered, gripping the painful scar in his arm, and jumped on the snake. The Hissy collapsed under the mighty might of the plumber's shoe.

"What was that thing?" Malon wondered. As if to answer her question, what sounded like an army of snakes were hissing at the same time, farther down the path. Faint screaming was also heard.

"That can't be good…" shivered Blooey.

"yeah I'm out!" yelped Luigi, darting away instantly. Malon grabbed the strap of his overalls before he got away.

"C'mon! We have to hurry! Those people could be in danger!"

Luigi whimpered, but Malon overpowered him and was dragged off. Hissys and Plumbellians who were forced to be slaves attacked the trio down the path. Malon realized her flute had restored it magic at last, re-summoned Epini, and they took off to Plumpbelly Village.

"Something's off here…" Malon pointed out just as she gave Epini a hug before her horse teleported away. "There's no females here!"

Luigi and Blooey hadn't really noticed that detail, but realized Malon was right. On the other side of town, they could see a girl in a white dress screaming and being carried off by Hissys.

"We have to save her!" cried Malon rushing after them. A long arm reached across her path, causing her to fall backward. Luigi caught her, and they both looked up at the man who stopped them.

"Don't try following the Hissys, kids." he explained. "When one goes in, they never come out. Not only that, but those rogue snakes make sure no one that isn't supposed to be there stays away…"

"Who are you?" Blooey piped up.

"I am the Mayor of Plumpbelly Village, where Piantas, humans like myself, and rejected Frogs come to live."

"What's exactly is going on around here? People being carried off by snakes with legs, lack of girls…" Luigi rambled.

The mayor shook his head. "It is too long of a story to tell here. Come, to my house…it is one of the last safe places to go!"

----

Once they were comfortable in the mayor's abode, he started up the woeful tale about their village. he didn't get too deep into it, however.

"Sadly, I may be the mayor, but the town is ruled by a two-headed snake named Hizza! He only came because he had already eaten away the females of two other towns, and ours was next. The last girl in the village is my daughter, Strudel…"

"Daddy? Did you call?" a girl, one or two years older than Malon, asked, walking out. Blooey whistled, and Malon hit him. She had long blonde hair with a few red streaks trickling down in random spots, an elegant white dress, hazel eyes, and dainty whites shoes. Luigi and Blooey's jaws were dropped.

"No Strudel, I'm just telling the villagers of our fate…" Mayor sighed. "Hey! Why are you wearing that wedding dress! I will NOT have you sacrificed!"

"What does a wedding dress have to do with being sacrificed?" Malon asked.

"All sacrifices have to be wearing a wedding dress. We really have no idea why…" Strudel explained. She then turned to her father. "Daddy, if I am sacrificed, Hizza will finally leave our village! Isn't that what you want?"

The Mayor put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "It's very brave of you to want to do that…but the only thing _I_ want is_ you_ safe. I don't care if **I** have to be sacrificed to do that! Now go take that dress off."

"Yes Daddy…"

She went to return to her room, Blooey getting ready to follow, but Malon held him in place.

"Oh no you don't..." she grumbled.

"That was so beautiful…" Luigi, sobbed, dabbing his eyes with a tissue. Blooey rolled his eyes.

"Is Strudel _really_ the last girl of the village?"

"I'm afraid so…just a few moments ago, her best friend Marikina was taken off…"

"I'm sorry that happened."

The Mayor nodded. Strudel came back out in normal teenager get-up, brushing a red strand out of her face. Malon seemed curious and told everyone she had to go to the bathroom.

"I just changed in the bathroom actually…" Strudel said. "Be careful of the dress!"

Malon scowled when no one was looking. "Oh I will…"

Strudel sat out in the living room, talking to Luigi and Blooey as the Mayor went to talk to Marikina's father. Malon heard them laughing outside the room, clenching her hand into a fist.

"That girl really irks me…" she huffed under her breath, shutting the bathroom door behind her. Malon didn't really have to go to the bathroom, she just needed to get away from Strudel. Her gaze drifted to the wedding dress, and Malon realized it was really pretty…

"Maybe she won't mind if I try it on…" Malon trialed. "It even comes with a diamond headband!"

-----

A few moments later, Malon walked out with the wedding dress on. She struck a pose as she said, "How do I look?"

Only no one was in the living room.

"Guys? Huh…maybe they went outside!"

Malon opened the door, just to see men and Piantas gawk at her and whistle. She blushed deeply as she ran by them all.

"Hello? Luigi? Blooey?"

Malon stood in the center of the town, where nobody seemed to be at except a few stalkers. She nervously tugged on her gloves and anxiously wondered where Luigi and Blooey were.

In a bush, one Hissy whispered to another. "That the final girl?"

"Yeah…" the other replied. "She's all dolled up and everything!"

"Hope the boss enjoys the last girl…"

They sprung out of the hiding place, tackled Malon, gagged her, and dragged her off into the forest.

"Hey!!! What're you doing?!" Malno cried, but her words were muffled through the gag. With one last hopeless effort, she cried out Luigi's name but she truly didn't know where he was...and things started to get dark for Malon.


	12. One Really Fuzzy Rainbow

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 11: One Really Fuzzy Rainbow

"I'm glad we were able to walk Strudel to that safe house…" Luigi chuckled, once he and Blooey had returned from their brief trip with Strudel. While Malon was in the bathroom, the mayor had came in and asked Luigi to escort Strudel to safety. Naturally, Blooey disn't want to be left out, and--

"We just left Malon in the house alone, though!"

"Oh, you know girls…always taking their time in the bathroom…"

"Is _that_ why she's not in the house at all?" Blooey called back, poking his head in the house and getting no response.

"Hah?"

Luigi ran into the house, where Blooey showed that Malon and the wedding dress were gone. Suddenly, the Mayor ran through the door.

"Luigi! I was just informed that the Hissys took the last girl!"

"But Strudel is in the safe house…" Luigi pondered. "We made sure of that!"

"MALON!" wailed Blooey. "I bet she put on the dress, and the Hissies mistook her for Strudel! We have to go after her!"

The mayor cringed and shook his head. "You can't! Those snakes will do you in!"

"I _have_ to save Malon! Luigi, are you in?"

Luigi shook at the fear of snakes "doing him in", but shook more at the fear of a two-headed snake doing _Malon_ in. "Yeah. Let's do this!"

The Mayor smacked his head. "Fine…but the only slightest possible way you can get to Hizza's Temple is to look like a bride…"

"I have to wear a dress!?!" Luigi screeched. "Well…I guess if it's for Malon. Do you have an extra dress?"

"Just a plain white one…but it's still a wedding dress…"

Luigi tore off to the bathroom with the white female outfit in hand. "I shall wear it!"

----

"Malon…" Blooey sobbed, walking sadly out the door. Oh, how could he have been so distracted by another girl?…that question answered itself, but still. Blooey felt terrible, but he'd never admit that to Luigi. His mourning had caused him to run into a red cherry bomb-omb, looking perplexed.

"OW…what was that for?"

"Sorry…my friend was just taken by the Hissys and I was upset…"

The bomb seemed to understand. "I see. I just saw her get dragged away, down the Venom Path up to Hizza's Temple…heard she'll be the last sacrifice and Hizza's finally leaving Plumpbelly."

"But it can't be Malon!" cried Blooey.

"I'd really love to help you but…oh my god…" The bomb-omb started to trail, eyes locked on the hideous thing before him. It was a simply dreadful sight, one that made the poor bomb's eyes water up in tears and almost break down crying.

"I am one hot sacrifice!"

Blooey's eyes went from sad to terrified. There, was Luigi, in a wedding dress.

"I…I'm…**scarred** now…" the bomb sighed. "I'll never be the same again…"

"I feel you dude…" Blooey agreed.

"I now feel compelled to stop the world from seeing anything like this ever again…so I will join you. I, Jerry the Cherry Bob-omb, will vow to never let people see guys in wedding dresses again!"

"Is it that bad?"

"YES IT IS LUIGI!!!"

"I'll never be able to forgive this guy…"

Blooey put an arm around Jerry. "This will be a beautiful friendship…

_Jerry-  
__HP: 15  
__Moves:  
__Body Slam (2 damage)  
Bomb (2 FP, 3 damage)_

_Special Ability: Can blow up cracks and get objects like rocks out of the way_

"We'll need to get through the Venom Path, which is full of Poison Ivy, Putrid Piranhas, and I heard there's a stream of venom oozing around there…"

"UGH!" Luigi gulped.

"To Malon!" Blooey yelped, instantly ready to brave the dangers. Jerry followed the burned blooper and Luigi just trembled behind them, heading down the hardly traveled path…

----

"Hey…who's that chick in the wedding dress?" another pair of Hissies whispered to each other. They were staking out in the bushes when Luigi, blooey, and Jerry came walking by.

"Hmm…maybe the mayor's daughter wasn't the last after all…" the other one shrugged.

"Yes, I'm just heading off to Hizza…no need to be suspicious!" Luigi giggled in a girlish fashion, trying to cover up his mustache.

"Don't draw attention to us fool!" Blooey snapped.

"We gotta lay low man…" added Jerry.

"Why must all my partners be against me?"

They marched down the path, getting weird looks from Hissies, until they ran into a pack of Putrid Piranhas. Luigi chose Jerry as a partner, since Blooey refused to battle with the guy that burned him, plus he wouldn't feel loyal to Malon. Luigi shrugged, and turned to the three Putrid Piranhas. He started off by hitting the first one with his hammer, damaging 2. Then Jerry finished it off with a Body Slam. One Piranha bit Luigi, while the other poisoned him.

"Holy-Gak!" he choked. The poison was taking his life from under his nose! He had Jerry go first, and his Bomb did a number on the second plant. Luigi hit it, and it wilted. The final Plant bit Jerry, and then the twosome defeated it.

"We pulled it off!" cheered Jerry.

"I'm shocked actually..." smirked blooey. Luigi just smacked his head and attempted to keep truding down the path. The first Hissy that was spying on him sctratched the back of his head.

"Huh...I never knre girls could be so tough."

"Women are the greatest mystery, Bert."

"Yeah...wait, my name isn't Bert!"

----

A little ways down (and over the stream of venom, which Luigi nearly fell in), Blooey could feel something like a small earthquake.

"Hey, do you guys feel something like-"

"-an earthquake?" finished Jerry.

"Yeah…"

Luigi suddenly felt it too. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the Fuzzy Stampede running after them. This time, they had no Malon to help them run away.

"Oh man…we can't outrun them…" Luigi scowled under his breath.

"Meeeeeeoork! I've come back, dork!" the black fuzzy in front cackled. "I said you would pay! Meeeork!"

"Let's take 'em on!" Blooey growled. "GET A PIECE OF THE…TAN TORPEDO!"

"Will do!" Jerry exclaimed, almost taking a bite out of Blooey.

"Not like THAT!"

Black Fuzzy nodded and the battle began. Luigi and Jerry were up against the Black Fuzzy, Pink Fuzzy, Green Fuzzy, Gold Fuzzy, and three colors of Fuzzy that Luigi didn't even believe existed: a red, blue, and silver one.

"Prepare to be served, Meeeork!"

"Man, seven Fuzzies!" Blooey gaped.

"I'm afraid to see what the red, blue, and silver ones do…" Luigi quivered.

"You know if you swapped Jerry for me, it's be easier to take them out…"

"Okay!"

So Luigi used his turn to swap Jerry for Blooey, and Blooey torpedoed through them all. The Black one fainted but it strayed to the background to order the rest around.

"Pink Fuzzy! Take away some FP! Green, I wanna see you spilt! Gold…just stand there, Red, Blue, Silver…use your attacks!"

Pink gnawed on Luigi's arms, draining his FP. Green made a copy to replace Black, only stronger.

"Man!"

Gold just stood there, and then Red viciously went up and chomp 5 out of Blooey instead of 3.

"Meeeeeeeeeeeeooooorrrk! You taste good!" he told Blooey.

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

Blue Fuzzy jumped on Luigi's head, then Blooey's, and this repeated three times. Luigi looked horrified at the Silver Fuzzy.

"What can you do?"

The Silver Fuzzy blinked. "Meeork?"

"Luigi…you're in the air…"

"WHA??!"

Silver seemed to snicker as he bashed Luigi into the wall of the stage, then dropped him with a sickening thud.

"Let's kill the Silver one…" Luigi gaped. He got back to his feet, then Super jumped (Spin Jumped) the Silver Fuzzy way in the back. From Blooey's attack, and Luigi's more powerful jump, it finally collapsed.

"thinks it can magically lift me…he's wrong!"

Blooey shook his head and used his Torpedo Throw one last time. The Pink Fuzzy collapsed, and the first Green one did too. Currently left were the Second Green one, the Gold one still with 4 HP, Red, and Blue. The Green one luckily didn't make a copy, but instead sucked some of Blooey's HP.

"Red is right, you taste gooooood…deep fried flavor!"

"GAHH!!!"

The gold one bit Luigi, the red one went savage on Blooey again, making him fall over with the fuzzy on its face, and the Blue one repeated its insane jump.

"Now I'm in danger…" wheezed the squid. Luigi attacked the Blue Fuzzy, considering he had the lowest HP. It died on contact, and one of their major damagers were gone. Blooey gulped down a Super Shroom Malon had bought him. Green bit Luigi this time, Gold continued to stand still, and Red gnawed on Blooey once again. But this time, Blooey spun around , all 6 of his tentacles hit Red in a Super Guard.

"H-Hey meeork…"

"TAKE THAT SAVAGE!!"

Luigi raised and eyebrow, but retook his turn. He Super Jumped on the gold one, since it was just basically in the way. With Blooey's Torpedo Throw, the gold one finally collapsed. All that remained were Green and Red.

"Die Red Varmint!" Luigi roared, spin jumping on the red one. But since he stressed his jump so much, he end up leaping, spinning in the air, and flying into a wall.

"Way to waste a move, SCAR!" Jerry shouted.

"Don't call me scar!"

"But that's what you are…"

"Me-hee hee hee-ork! Look at the man in a dress stuck in the wall!" Black howled. All the Fuzzies started cracking up, along with Blooey and Jerry. Luigi, unnoticeably blushing, silently moaned.

"Where is Malon when you need her?"

Blooey used Dinky Inky to shrink the Red Fuzzy, lowering its attack. The Blooper Super Guarded Green, but just regular guarded Red. Luigi fell back into his spot, instantly taking his turn. His hammer had contact with the Green Fuzzy, and Blooey finished it off.

"Looks like it's only you Red…" Blooey snickered. Red tried to bite Luigi this time, but he was easily smacked away thanks to Blooey's Inky. "TIME TO DIE!"

Luigi squashed him with another mallet swing, and Blooey cackled as he sailed into the fuzzy.

"Whoo!" Luigi cheered, leveling up. "I wonder if Malon leveled up…"

"Maybe. Maybe not…"

Luigi shrugged. "Oh well…" he took some FP, since he would be using his Super Jump a lot more often.

"I'll be back, Meeeeooorrrk! You haven't payed yet!" Black shouted, hopping off with his six followers and the rest of the stampede and leaving a Shine Sprite behind. Blooey picked it up as Luigi started to complain.

"Man! All I did was tackle that Black Fuzzy to the ground!" Luigi guffawed. "They never give up do they?"

"no…Come on! I see Hizza's Temple!" Jerry exclaimed.

"MALON!!!!"

Blooey instantly ran ahead, Luigi and Jerry following close behind.


	13. Snaking Through a Temple

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 12: Snaking Through a Temple

When Luigi and Jerry caught up with Blooey, he was yanking on the entrance to the temple.

"It's locked!!" he whined.

"Maybe I can blast it open!"

"Please do."

Blooey stepped back, not wanting to get blown up as Jerry lit his unusually long fuse and walked toward the door. By the time he reached it, he blew himself, and the door, up in an explosion.

"Good work Jerry! Time to save Malon!" Luigi yelled in a battle cry form. Blooey joined his yell and stormed after him. Their battle cries instantly died down when they saw that the temple was actually a really big maze.

"Well, there goes my hope…" Luigi sighed.

"For Malon!" yipped Blooey, heading in. Luigi cringed and grabbed Blooey before he could get away.

"Blooey, we don't even know our way through there though!"

"Well, how _do_ we find out?"

Luigi found another Conveniently Placed Map, only this time it was for the maze.

"I think with this…" he held it down so the two small creatures could see too. It was a bit windy, with pictures of Hissys and other enemies scattered everywhere. In the very center was large chamber, most likely where Hizza was.

"Well…if we follow this thing, it says we go up, right, down, right, down, left, down, right, up, right, down, left…" Jerry read.

"Hoo-rah…" sigh Blooey. Luigi waved the map in the air.

"Um…we'll just need to be super careful!"

"Yeah, take it from the klutz in a wedding dress!"

"Shut up!"

So they shakily started up the path, cautiously keeping an eye out for Hissies or any traps. Everything was calm during the right, down, right, part, but when they went left…

"Whoa! What's that?" Blooey asked, poking a large wall with a snake face.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Blooey screamed and jumped back ten feet. "Talking door!"

"It's a Guard Door! Mario hates these things!" Luigi explained.

"Actually I'm a Watch Wall. I make sure no one gets through that's not supposed to."

"But I'm supposed to be a sacrifice!" Luigi exclaimed in a squeaky voice. The Watch Wall looking him over.

"You are in a wedding dress, but Hizza isn't expecting anyone... I'll make you a deal. If you can solve my little challenge, I'll let you by. How's that?"

Luigi stuck a pose. "We accept your challenge!"

"What do you mean "we"?" Blooey asked.

"Moahahahah! You'll never see the light of day again with this challenge. Beat this minion here, and I'll get out of the way."

"We can take it!" Jerry stated.

"Arrive, Elite Hissy!"

"...Did he say Elite Hissy?"

A Hissy with armor fell out of the sky, looking meaner than ever. Luigi gulped as Blooey and Jerry prepared to take it on. The Hissy took a look at Luigi and burst out laughing.

"What? Does my dress make my butt look big?"

"I think it's the fact you're IN a dress…"

"Scarred for life…"

Luigi made a face and began the battle. The Elite Hissy had 20 HP and a defense of 1, which made him slightly harder to beat than a normal one. Luigi hit the enemy with a might hammer swing, doing one less than usual. Blooey was tossed at the Hissy, but also only did one.

"What the heck? He has to have some sort of weakness…" Blooey pondered.

"Maybe you could use me to blast the armor off!" Jerry suggested. Luigi was about to, until he was hit in the head with a medieval club the Hissy had, taking away five.

"That was a lucky hit pal!"

He swapped Blooey for Jerry, then Jerry lit his own fuse and exploded in the Hissy's face. All of its armor was blown off, and the Hissy put on a fearful face. Now that it was exposed, Luigi used his Super Jump to damage five HP. Jerry, feeling a bit proud, blew up again, damaging 4. It was now down to 4 HP!

"We can totally do this!" cheered Blooey. The Hissy smirked and put on a new set of armor, also refilling 10 HP.

"Or maybe not…"

"Don't give up yet!"

Jerryused his next turn to blast the armor off again, and Luigi regular jumped on his. The Hissy summoned more armor, bringing his health back up to 15.

"There's no way he can do that forever!" shouted Blooey. Luigi pulled out his Compass.

"Maybe he can't…" Luigi raised the Compass, calling forth the power of the northern most (and only) piece of the Compass. The area around them suddenly got cold, and the Hissy was frozen in a hexagon ice block for three turns. Blooey's mouth stayed open as Luigi put the compass away.

"Let's finish him off Jerry…"

Jerry nodded, and used his Body Slam Move. The Hissy obviously couldn't take his turn, so Luigi and Jerry defeated him easily. The Watch Wall cried out in agony.

"Nooooooo! You've broken my curse! My curse kept me…alive….arghhhh!" the wall suddenly crumbled, and turned into a Shine Sprite. The Shine Sprite floated over to them.

"Thank you for breaking that curse. I've been stuck as a wall ever since Hizza built this temple, only to allow his followers into his chamber. The same fate befell two of my friends. But I sensed that you held the Marvelous Compass, and knew you could stop Hizza, and gave you a chance to pass-but, of course, I had to test your strength, and you _are_ quite clever!"

Luigi chuckled. "Well, I DO have some good ideas-"

"Like using a wedding dress to break into a temple?"

"Shush."

The Shine Sprite flew into Luigi's hands. "Feel free to take me and my friends to level up your partners-we are no different than other Shine Sprites."

"But you can talk!" gaped Jerry.

"This is just the wall's curse lingering. When you pass where the wall once stood, you'll be unable to understand me anymore…pass Luigi, go…"

Luigi tucked the Shine Sprite into his bag and took a few steps forward. He checked on the Shine Sprite, only to hear faint twinkling.

"She wasn't kidding!"

"Come on Luigi! Malon's still out there, and there's two more doors to get past!" Blooey pointed out.

Luigi nodded and continued leftward.

------

"Man…this is a long left…"

"Eventually we'll be going right!"

"Okay! We're here! Now we have to go down…then right, up…" Luigi read off the map.

"Why isn't this place straight forward? Why with all the twisting paths and what-not?" Jerry complained, turning to go down.

"Probably because-dead end?!"

They were supposed to go right now, but the path didn't quite exist…

"Oh well. Let's head a different way!" Blooey suggested, already heading off.

"But the Conveniently Placed Map says to go this way!" Luigi protested.

"Well what are we supposed to DO!?" Jerry shouted, exploding with all his rage. The "dead end" collapsed under the might of Jerry, also revealing the way to go.

"Good job Jerry! I _knew_ there was no way the map lied!" Blooey cheered.

"Uh…thanks?"

"You were just about to walk off! Blooey"

"Maybe in your eyes!"

Luigi rolled his eyes and continued to the right, then making a turn up.

"This isn't so bad-"

"LUIGI! A trap!"

"What?!"

Just before Luigi took another step, the floor fell before him, indicating a bottomless pit.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh…."

"How do we get over this?" Jerry wondered.

"There's a switch over there!" Blooey pointed out. "Let's see if Luigi is man enough to throw me!"

"In that dress? Yeah right!" Jerry belted out, and they both cackled.

"Didn't Malon say to quit making fun of me?" Luigi whined.

"Malon isn't here! Now throw me over the gap to that blue switch!"

Luigi sighed and picked Blooey up, then threw him over the gap. Blooey, the tan torpedo, rocketed through the air and slammed into the switch. The fallen floor pieces magically arose out of the pit, reconstructing so Luigi and Jerry could get by.

"See? There's a nice way to do things, you know…" Luigi stated, staring at his map. Blooey snuck in his nose area and trotted behind him.

---------

Malon awoke, reaching to grab her head but realizing she was tied up.

"Ohh…what happened?" she muttered, struggling to sit up. This was also impossible because the two Hissys were carrying her still.

"Oh man…she woke up!"

"Just hang on to her! We need to get her to the boss!"

Malon's sight started to increase. She saw she was still in the wedding dress. "You think I'm the last sacrifice?!"

"Don't play stupid with me!" the second Hissy grunted. "You're the last girl in the village, and after we feed you to Hizza, we're moving to a whole new location!"

Malon fidgeted in their grasp. "You won't get away with this!"

"Ah, that's what they all say…"

"If I can't stop you, Luigi will!"

"No one is going to stop us…"

"So you might as well get over it! We're almost to the lair of Hizza, so I recommend you keep quiet!"

Malon struggled once more, then simply gave up.

"If I could only reach my flute…I'd show you!" she then closed her eyes and sighed. _"Luigi, you'd better hurry up and save me…"_


	14. Two Walls is All

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 13: Two Walls is All…

"Halt!" shouted the next Watch Wall at the end of the next "up" path. "You can go no further…and nice dress, by the way."

"I am a sacrifice, and I demand to be taken to Hizza at once!" Luigi ordered, though in a somewhat awkward tone. Jerry shook his head while Blooey smacked his. The wall rolled its eyes.

"Of course you are…that's why the final sacrifice is already on her way to Hizza! And what would you be?"

"Dessert!" Blooey instantly blurted out. "I'm the…crunchy part of the meal, and Jerry there is the cherry on top!"

"…I see. Well, I guess I could let you by…IF you pass an extremely hard test that you'll never pass! Oh ha la ha!"

"Oh boy…"

"Here's how it'll work: I'm going to ask you a few questions on a random subject. Get five right, and you'll be able to go by without a fight. But get three wrong, and I'll never let you pass!"

"No terrifying fight then?"

"Nope-not in the mood today."

Luigi still gulped.

"Are you up for it?"

"Yes we are!" Blooey stated confidently.

"ahha! How you'll fail…Question One- What does Bootler the Boo look like?"

Blooey and Jerry exchanged glances. "We don't even know who that is…"

"I do! He had a giant, gaping mouth, sometimes red eyes…and a mustache!" Luigi explained

"Dar…I guess I have to accept that. Correct! But the rest of these will be super hard…"

Luigi shifted uncomfortably.

"Question Two! What is the special treat that comes from Goomba Village?"

"Aw! These are all Mushroom Kingdom questions!" whined Blooey.

"It was a random category!" the Watch Wall retorted.

"A Goomnut?"

"Correct! Drat! I thought I had you…this next question will stump you for sure! Question three! What is the only way to open the path to the Crystal Palace?"

"It's a stumper!" wailed Blooey.

"Get a grip man!"

Luigi vaguely remembered thinking about that very subject… "Placing a bucket and scarf on two snowmen?"

"GARH! Correct! You'll never get Question Four! What is the animal that gives rides to Lavalava Island?"

Luigi suddenly froze from a thought as he answered, " A giant tuna…?"

"No! I can't believe you got your fourth answer right!"

"Way to go Luigi!"

"Glad you're a mushroomian!"

"That's it! These'll be near impossible! Question Five! Whose secret wish is to sleep on the top bunk?"

Luigi knew there was something odd about these questions. Though, to answer this one, he got really quiet and squeaked "Mine…"

As Blooey and Jerry belted out laughter, the Watch Wall started to shake and quiver.

"No way! There's no way possible you could have answered five questions right! Now I'm going to…crumble…wahhhh…"

The wall disintegrated, leaving behind a Shine Sprite.

"Thank you Luigi. I knew you'd be able to pass my test. Honestly, I made the questions easy on purpose so you could free me!" the Shine Sprite cheered. "But be careful! The final wall guards the way to Hizza, and his curse is far stronger than mine and the previous wall's. He is forced to let no one but Hissys pass, and you'll need to do something impressive to get him to fall."

The Shine Sprite slipped into Luigi's bag, but Luigi's eyes were still wide.

"Good thing you knew those questions, or we were screwed!" Blooey cheerfully told Luigi.

"Blooey, is "screwed" your favorite word?"

"Screw no…what the screw gave you that screwy idea?"

"…no reason…" Jerry said nervously. He then waved his fuse in front of Luigi. "Yo Scar? Are you okay?"

"I feel like that sprite read my diary…"

-----

Within moments, the two Hissys and Malon had entered the lair of Hizza. Both Hissies set Malon down on a large plate, and the second Hissy quickly left. The first one hung around and made sure Malon stayed put.

"Good…he isn't here right now!" the first Hissy sighed in relief. He glanced at Malon. "He takes a small nap before he eats his victims, so "Luigi" might be able to arrive in to save you."

Malon raised an eyebrow. "You want me to be saved?"

The Hissy scratched the back of his head. "Well, between you and me, I don't really like the fact Hizza eats all his victims…it disturbs me." He then slightly blushed. "Out of all the girls I've kidnapped, you're by far the prettiest…"

Malon hid a blush as she turned away. "Thanks. You know, that's the whole reason I put the wedding dress on it the first place…Luigi and Blooey were drooling over Strudel and I was getting j-"

"Wait did you say…Strudel? As in a female name?"

"Yeah. The girl that's supposed to be here, but instead it's me because I put on her wedding dress."

The Hissy started to come over to untie Malon, but the sound of a sharp hiss echoed throughout the lair, and both of them gasped.

"I-I'm really sorry…if Hizza catches me freeing you, then-"

"I understand. Get outta here. I'll be fine," Malon assured.

"Just…try to avoid his smoke!" the Hissy called before running off.

"His smoke?"

Malon wondered what he had meant while staring at the dark part of the room, and awaited the fate that was Hizza.

------

"I'm scared! What if this wall is really mean?" Luigi pondered.

"Luigi-you're seriously afraid of a _wall_? Come on." Jerry retorted.

"Yeah! It's just a possessed Shine Sprite turned into a slab of cement that can talk! No big deal!" Blooey added. Jerry sent him a look.

"You know, you're not exactly helping…"

"He scarred both of us! You emotionally, and me psychically! Look at me! I'm a blooper! Bloopers are white, not this…this** BURNT SIENNA**!"

"You got the burnt part right…" Luigi stated nervously. Blooey growled and jumped into his face.

"The only reason I'm still hanging around with you is because I'm Malon's Soul Partner, and for some twisted reason she's your friend. Otherwise I would have personally tossed you into some lava!" he snapped.

As they bickered, Jerry took the map from Luigi's pocket and looked it over. They were currently going right, then they needed to go down, and finally left to where the final Watch Wall was…and the last area before Hizza.

"C'mon you guys! We only have one more door, and it's so close!" Jerry urged, being the only slightly sane one in the group. Blooey and Luigi finally stopped arguing and followed the cherry Bob-omb. After a close shave with a patrolling Hissy (who believed Luigi really was a sacrifice), they found the final Watch Wall, looking firm and dark as ever.

"Who goes there?" it said stonily. Luigi curtseyed.

"I am but a humble sacrifice, waiting to be fed at the jaws of Hizza. Allow me to pass, and there shall be no problems!"

The wall chuckled. "Ha ha. Like I'm going to fall for that little gimmick?"

"Aw, how'd you know?"

"You just told me."

"Dang!"

"C'mon man! Please?" Blooey begged. "Don't make me get down and beg!"

The wall pondered this for a moment. "Hmm…no."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"With a jerry-cherry on top?"

"NO!"

"I'm gonna cry! Wa-"

"No! Don't do that!! Um…maybe, I just might let you pass…"

All three smiled in hope.

"…or maybe not."

"Aw come on!"

"What's it going to take?"

"A puzzle…" the wall began. "No one has ever solved a puzzle this puzzling before…"

Luigi stood his ground. "Bring on this puzzle!"

The wall chanted some strange words and a small object fell from the sky and into Luigi's hand. He took one look and screamed.

"AUGH! A Rubix Cube! Have mercy! I'm not intelligent enough to solve this!"

"Isn't that the truth-"

"Shush Blooey."

The wall chuckled. "Ha! You should've seen your face when you looked at the cube! Here, wanna see the photo?"

Jerry grabbed the developing picture out of a slot coming out of the wall. With one glance, he was on the floor laughing.

"Normally, it wouldn't be that bad…but he looks so stupid in the scarring wedding dress!"

Luigi growled and tore up the picture. "All right- no more playing around! Give us the hardest challenge you can muster up-that isn't a Rubix Cube!"

"Well then. If you can win this, then I'll let you by. But no one can beat my impressive score!"

The wall's face suddenly transformed into a screen, and a small mat appeared out of the floor.

"Oh no! The ultimate challenge…DDR!" wailed Luigi. Blooey suddenly started cheering.

"Oh cool! I'm really good at this game! Now you can check out my wicked dance moves!"

Blooey started spinning on the floor, then finished with a pose. Jerry clapped.

"Well if you're so good, then get up there and start dancing!" Luigi ordered. Blooey hopped up.

"Don't need to tell me twice!"

"Mawahahahaha! My high score is too high to beat! You'll never survive this! Activate super-hard expert mode!"

Blooey punched the air. "This'll be fun!"

The music started up, and Blooey was a tan blur dancing around. The arrows were going so fast, he kept tripping over his own tentacles and the wall was cackling away.

"Oh, we're doomed…" pouted Jerry. "Not even a master with 6 legs can stand up to DDR!"

"up, right, down….no wait, left, now up…OHHH!"

Luigi stared at the screen, trying to see how much Blooey was missing. Well, it was a barrage of "BOO!" "BAD!" and "COMPLETE MISS!"

"There's no hope now mere mortal!" the wall cackled. "Da na na na nuh na na…"

Luigi suddenly noticed a pattern in the dance steps. Up, right, down, right, down, left, down, right, up, right, down, left…

"Blooey! The steps are the directions we had to go in the maze!" Luigi shouted. Jerry furiously swapped his gaze from the map to the screen.

"Luigi's right!"

"Well I can't keep track! Between the speed and trying not to trip, it just a blur to me!"

"um…up, right, down, right, down!" Jerry chanted, and Blooey simultaneously performed the steps.

"…left, down, right, up, right, down, left!" Luigi finished.

"Then it starts over!"

"I think I'm getting the feel…up, right, down, right, down, left, down, right, up, right, down, left!"

"PERFECT!", "BEAUTIFUL!", "AWESOME", and "MARVELOUS" started taking place on the screen, and Blooey's score was skyrocketing. The wall's jaw would have dropped, if it had one.

"Up, right, down, right, down, left, down, right, up, right, down, left!" sang Jerry and Luigi, dancing the steps in the background.

"Da na na na, nuh na, na na!" Blooey hummed.

"C'mon Blooey! 5,000 more points!!"

"Hurry! The song's ending!"

"No pressure!"

"Shut it Luigi!"

"I'm just saying…"

The wall started to shake with anger. "No way! There's no way you should have been able to decipher the secret!" He turned to Jerry. "You found the map, didn't you!?"

"It _was_ conveniently placed!" Jerry shrugged.

"1,000 more!"

"20 seconds left!"

"I'm dancing as great as I can!"

"500 more!"

"10 seconds left!"

"Up, right, down, right, down, left, down, right, up, right, down, left!" wailed Blooey before collapsing as the song ended. Luigi and Jerry gawked at the screen, awaiting the results. The screen suddenly burst out in flashing colors.

"NEW HIGH SCORE- by 3 points!"

"YES!" screamed Luigi, so excited he ended up tripping over his dress.

"Impossible! I haven't been able to beat my own score!"

"You are a wall, after all…"

The wall began to shake. "This…no…I'm not supposed to crumble!"

The final Watch Wall exploded, revealing the last Shine Sprite.

"DDR? Honestly?" Jerry asked.

"Well I wanted to make it interesting!" the Shine Sprite giggled. It suddenly got serious. "Just beyond this wall is Hizza's lair. Enter with extreme caution though…"

"We will!" Luigi exclaimed, plopping the sprite into his bag. He then look toward the path before him, leading to a black area. "You two ready for this?"

"I guess…"

"Let's do it!"

Luigi nodded and struck a heroic pose. "Let's go save Malon."

"…and get the Compass Piece!"

"That too."

* * *

**...I had DDR on the brain when I wrote this. :D**


	15. Hizza: One Bad Snake

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 14: Hizza: One Bad Snake

Malon squirmed off the plate, frantically trying to slip out of the rope trap. The rumbling grew more and more, and Malon knew there was a hiss echoing too.

"Hurry up Hizza! You're nap's over- eat me and get it over with!" Malon shouted.

A large purple snake head suddenly jetted out of the darkness, tongue failing and collar flaring.

"How dare you order Hizzzzzzzza!" the snake hissed. "I eat on my **own** time!"

Malon managed to stand up. "Well, I don't get **eaten** on my own time!"

Hizza fully slithered into the light, then curled into a coil. "Hmmmm…you seem to be a feisssssty flavor…"

"Flavor?! That's it- I'm out!"

Malon started to run away, but Hizza quickly snagged one of his fangs into the rope, picking Malon up too. Hizza suddenly unleashed a strange looking green gas, and Malon held her breath.

"You can't do that forever…you'll breathhhhhe, and then you be knocked unconsssssssious, and then I eat you without a problem!"

"Not on my watch!" Luigi shouted, jumping into the room. When he landed, he stepped on the edge of the dress and fell over. Blooey and Jerry followed behind looking embarrassed. Malon instantly screamed.

"Luigi in a wedding dress! Ahhhhhh…"

She breathed in the fumes. Blooey gasped.

"Luigi-throw me! And avoid lava if possible!"

Though Luigi wanted to make a comment, he said nothing and chucked the blooper toward Malon. He hit Hizza's fang, causing Hizza to jump back and release Malon. Luigi ran to catch her, and actually managed to do so.

"I caught her-while wearing a dress!" Luigi bragged.

"That's supposed to be a good thing?" Jerry questioned. "Because I heard you couldn't catch her _without _a dress!" Luigi made a face. Blooey squirmed over and freed Malon from the ropes.

"Oh…she's knocked out-again!"

"Where's her flute?"

"Got it!"

Jerry handed it to Luigi, and Luigi played a random-yet loud- one-noted tune. Malon instantly came to and kicked the nearest object.

"OW! Watch it!" Blooey snapped. Malon gasped and quickly hugged Blooey.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry…who the heck was playing my flute?"

Jerry and Blooey pointed to Luigi. Luigi pointed to Hizza. Malon stood up and ruffled out her dress and adjusted the diamond headband. Everyone took a second look and went slack jawed.

"Man, he really ruffled me up and…what are you looking at?"

_"Dar…"_

"You're hot!"

"Blooey!"

"Luigi!"

"You're not supposed to say** that**-"

"You're not _supposed_ to disagree!"

"Fool!"

"Jerk!"

"Jerry!"

"**_Jerry_**-"

"GUYS!! GIANT SNAKE TRYING TO EAT ME?"

"Oh yeah…"

"You distracted us-"

Malon quickly pulled out her bow and arrow. "Now's not the time to discuss how much better looking I am than Strudel! We've gotta get the Compass Piece!"

"What does Strudel have to do with anything?" wondered Blooey. Luigi pulled out his compass, ready to use a move if necessary.

"Okay you…snake! Prepare to be vanquished!"

"You snake?"

"I was having a brain flop."

Hizza smirked. "Do you really think you can defeat a beassssst with two headssssss?!"

The tails of Hizza uncoiled, revealing it was really a second head. Malon, Blooey, and Jerry made disgusted faces while Luigi prepared to faint. Malon grabbed him before he fell.

"Don't go fainting on us again-please."

"Two heads?!" Luigi squeaked.

"…and 40 HP!" added Jerry.

"Oh that reminds me…I oddly leveled up while they were taking me to the lair!" Malon recalled. "I chose HP this time around…"

"That answers my question!" Luigi pointed out. "Now lets take down the…gulp…two headed snake…

Hizza's two heads hissed in laughter, ready to take a bite out of all of them. Each head had 20 HP, making 40 HP in all.

"Okay Luigi! You attack the left head, and I'll attack the right!" Malon ordered.

"Right."

Luigi started the battle up with a hammer swing, and Jerry exploded for a total of 5 damage. The left head slammed its chin down on Luigi, and the right one bit him in the arm before he could defend himself.

"This reptile plays dirty!" he complained.

"Get ussssed to it!" the right head hissed.

"Don't tell him what to do!" shouted Malon, hitting the head in the eye with an arrow. Blooey then used Dinky Inky, with an effect of poison also taking 1 HP. Both heads bit Malon, and they whined.

"When this meaninglessssss battle is over, I'll make sssssure to eat you with sssome ssssauccccce and sssspicesss!"

"Oh with the "SSSSSSS" stereotype."

Luigi jumped up, then kicked his brown boot into the left head's eye for 5 damage. Jerry body slammed him for a result of 7. The right head's poison kicked in again, and it squalled out in pain.

"You think you have thissss battle, but I have the Compasssss Piecccce!"

The rest of Hizza's coiled body suddenly shimmered a bright blue, and Hizza was suddenly on the other side of the room.

"Nice trick," Malon yawned, shooting another arrow. Hizza laughed and disappeared again, leaving the arrow to hit the wall.

"Oh we're-"

"Don't even think about it Blooey!"

"But we are!"

"We just need to stay calm and randomly swing around…" Malon suggested, launching arrows on every direction possible. Luigi shivered and started walking backward.

"This is not cool at all…" he whimpered. Blooey was randomly shooting himself, and Jerry was exploding in all kinds of different places. Luigi heard light movements coming from all directions, and Luigi wasn't sure where to run. Then, he suddenly collapsed from the pressure of it all, and a muffled roar suddenly rang out. The still standing fighters looked above Luigi to see that the "tail" head had eaten the "head" head. The fangs were oozing venom, and everyone cautiously backed away.

"Well that certainly was easy!" Jerry exclaimed. "I thought we were going to die for a moment!"

"Luigi get up! Your pretending-to-pass-out method worked!" Malon cheered, shaking Luigi awake.

"I don't think it was a method…" snickered Blooey.

"…and Hizza isn't quite dead…" Jerry gulped. Hizza had fully reappeared, but the head was still being "eaten" by the other! He hopped over toward Malon, not going down without his last meal. Luigi was starting to wake up, but he was still in no condition to fight.

"Jerry! Blooey! Get over here now!" Malon ordered. The two partners marched over instantly. Malon lit Jerry's fuse and placed him on Blooey.

"Whoa! You trying to blow me up?!" Blooey screeched.

"Just trust me!"

"I trust you a heck of a lot more than Luigi…"

Malon tossed Blooey and Jerry toward the approaching snake, hoping her plan would work. In the meantime, she helped Luigi wake up.

"Whoa…it almost ate me!" Luigi slurred. Malon smacked him across the face. "…ouch!?!? What was that for?!"

"I need you fully awake! Hizza ate itself, but it's still trying to kill us! You've gotta use Frozen North!"

"Did you really need to hit me? I bet there's a red mark now-"

"USE IT!!"

"All right!"

Luigi pulled out the compass, the north piece shining once again…

"WAHHHH!"

"We're gonna die!"

Blooey and Jerry kept wailing on the way up, getting close to Hizza's heads. Jerry jumped off Blooey and damaged them with an explosion, and Blooey torpedo right through them. Hizza let out an inhumane screech, right before being frozen. The ice suddenly cracked, and Hizza recoiled up and exploded, leaving only the Marvelous Compass Piece where it once was. Luigi's eyes were about ready to pop out.

"Okay, what was that?!"

"Well, with the combination of Blooey, Jerry, and the compass' power, I figured it wouldn't be able to handle it and blow up!"

Luigi scratched the back of his head. "Wow…that's pretty clever…"

"And you were trying to take credit for that!" snorted Blooey.

Malon walked over and picked up the Compass Piece, it's magic radiating onto her. Her hair slightly fanned out, the diamonds on the headband sparkled, and Luigi didn't feel so good in his stomach.

"Well?" Malon asked, holding the piece out. "Aren't you going to take it?"

Luigi nodded, shakily grabbed it, and placed it into the base. It lit up in its intense light, and the familiar shock flew up Luigi's arm, allowing him to learn the Compass Move Wild West. When the light dimmed down, all four characters peeked into the object, realizing it was leading to an island with a huge race track and a small amusement park on the side.

"What is that place?"

"Circuit Break Island…" Luigi whispered.

"It looks pretty cool to me!" Jerry stated. Malon put her hands on her hips and looked around for a way out. The entrance Luigi, Blooey, and Jerry came in was sealed off, and Malon wasn't quite sure how she got in in the first place. Light was [ouring in from somewhere, and Malon found their exit.

"Well…it looks like there's a way out through that window up there!"

Everyone looked up to see a small window with a zip line jetting out of it. Malon played an uplifting tune, and the team was magically flying into the air. They landed on the edge of the window, all wondering how Malon managed to do that.

"Now that was pretty neat!" exclaimed Blooey. Luigi got a firm grip onto the zip line, then reached out for Malon's hand.

"Hang on tight…because I'm _really_ scared!"

Malon let out a small laugh and took his hand. "Trust me-I'm not going to let us fall."

Once both of them were secured, Blooey cackled out "Love Doves!" and pushed them off.

"Hey!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

They flew back down to the village, Blooey and Jerry cheering right behind them. Malon glanced up to a screaming Luigi.

"Hey Luigi?"

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah?"

"Remember to take the dress off when we get back…because it's starting to creep me out."

* * *

**Isn't it odd how both PLX and PMX2 have boss battles at the same time? I just realized that. Cool!**


	16. A Spark of Hope

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 15: A Spark of Hope

_"I absolutely hate waiting. It's killing me, knowing all this and not being allowed to share. I even hate thinking about what she's thinking…though even I can't foretell THAT."_

Huckleberry floated around the room, like he was sitting in a hammock. Éclair was sitting on the bed, staring out the window.

"It should be time for them to find another one…" Huckleberry hummed to himself. "After all, they do have 2 of the seven pieces now…"

"Oh Huckleberry…" Éclair moaned, falling down onto the pillow. "When will this Luigi save me? I'm afraid I won't last in this frightful tower any longer…"

Huckleberry floated down to her side. "There's seven pieces of the compass, princess. It might take a while, knowing the challenges he has to face!"

"I just wish I could somehow…help him, you know?"

"Well…" Huckleberry smirked. "…I just might be able to show you a way to communicate with him, but you'll have to do something for me first!"

Éclair sat up. "What do you mean?"

"There's something I want you to see, but it's two floors down…do you think you're up for the challenge?"

"I don't know…what if that thing is still lurking around?"

"You must be brave, and I can promise you, it'll be worth it!"

Éclair was unsure for a moment, then stood up. "All right…I suppose I have nothing to lose!"

"That's the spirit!" Huckleberry cheered, hitting the switch on the ceiling. "Now let's roll!"

Éclair headed down the steps, worrying if the creature was in the room again. When she reach the end, the princess carefully turned her head around the corner, seeing if the coast was clear.

"It's fine Éclair…" Huckleberry assured, chewing a piece of candy he found from nowhere. "I wouldn't force you to go if he was still around!"

"Oh yeah…you can see the future, but aren't allowed to tell me!"

Huckleberry swallowed the candy. "That's right! But I _can_ tell you the there are 13 floors of Hatestrong Tower…and we need to get to the twelfth."

Éclair raised an eyebrow. "What level am I locked in?"

"the 14th…it's a secret room, you know…"

The 13th floor was like a castle, with stone walls, a few weapons, some armor…and a creepy looking statue. Éclair noted the statue and started to walk up to it. It was humanish, with a long robe, a large hood, and small, beady red eyes.

"I feel like I know this guy…" she mused to herself. "So familiar…but so different somehow!"

Huckleberry seemed interested in Éclair's find, already knowing who is was. Yet, it wasn't time for that secret to be revealed. Especially not that one.

"Come Éclair- before it's too late!" Huckleberry urged. "If we don't hurry, the guards will storm through the tower and make sure everything is as it should be- and we'll be caught!"

Éclair backed away from the statue, trying hard to look away. "Yes…you're right. But I don't like the fact I can't figure out who that is!"

"You'll find out soon enough…" Huckleberry whispered, opening the door. Frustrated by the fact she gave herself a headache, Éclair stomped to the next part of the tower. The next level was similar to a bed room, with a bed, dresser, and a small closet. Huckleberry grinned and pointed to a small chestnut colored box.

"Get that box Éclair!"

Éclair sighed and picked it up. "Okay…nice box, but it needs a key, you know."

Huckleberry laughed. "Of course I know! And we're going to find it! Just not this stime around. I want the box to be in our possession before something happens to it."

"You know where the- never mind."

As Éclair looked over the box, a loud thumping noise echoed outside the door.

"Man I'm tired…" a scratchy voice mumbled. Éclair let out a small yelp.

"Huckleberry! It's the monster!"

"Into the closet! Quick!"

Éclair wasted no time in throwing the closet door open and jumping inside. Huckleberry vanished into the thin air right before the brown furry creature thundered into the room. He sniffed a bit, then put on a puzzled look.

"Something is out of place…" he grunted. "…but I'll figure it out after my nap…"

He climbed into the bed, and snoring instantly followed.

"Wow. When he says he's tired, he means it!" Éclair whispered to herself, slowly pushing open the door.

With ever-so quiet footsteps, she darted out of the room. The moment she was out the door, the creature in the bed silently whispered "Éclair…"

-----

Huckleberry was weighted down with even more issues.

"The Chestnut King…does he still have memory of Éclair? How am I going to tell her, and maybe show her, what happened to him? Let alone the rest of this terrible mess." He clutched his fists, growling at his dark past. "Luff King…I wish you would pay! What you've done to our people, the curse on my brother…and me, most importantly!"

He heard the door slam and gasped unintentionally. Éclair had entered.

"Okay Huckleberry! That was close!" Éclair snapped, now back in the cell. Huckleberry reappeared into sight, an amused smirk on his face. He had beat her to the room, and stayed invisible, which Éclair found particularly peculiar. "What's up with you?"

"Oh nothing, just something interesting…" he replied, disregarding the fact about his thoughts quite plainly. Éclair pouted while placing the box onto her own bed.

"Something interesting would be how I can communicate with Luigi…"

Huckleberry snapped his fingers. "Right!"

He floated over to Éclair, placing his small hand on the compass piece.

"Perfect…okay Éclair! Sending Luigi a message will be easy, as long as you focus. Since he only has two of the pieces right now, the connection won't be strong, but as he gains more the connection should gain strength. The most you can probably give out at this point is his name. Are you ready?"

Éclair took a deep breath, compass piece beginning to glow. "Yes. I'm ready. It'll be better than nothing."

"Think about no one but Luigi…focus on only Luigi, and channel your wish to communicate into the compass piece…"

Éclair's face went blank, her mind thinking of nothing but the main in green. The compass shimmered brighter and brighter, and Huckleberry knew it would work…well, of course he knew, but this time, he didn't need to peer into the future to know that.


	17. Will You Marry Me?

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 16: Will You Marry Me?

The sun was setting on Plumpbelly Village, all of its villagers returned thanks to the fact Hizza always swallow his food in one bite. Marikina, and the rest of the eaten females, returned through the forest path, and were tackled by all the men. Strudel, having returned from her safely shelter, cried in joy at the sight of her best friend, and they shared a hug.

"Well what do you know? Maybe I underestimated the awesomeness of a dress…" Blooey admitted, wearing a plaid skirt. Jerry took one look and screeched.

"Dude! Don't join the dark side!"

Malon sighed and tore it off before Jerry had a meltdown.

"C'mon, let's head back to Bosco…" she hummed.

"Yeah, we need to hurry to Circuit Break Island!" Luigi added, finally out of the wedding dress of his own. Before they even had a chance to leave, Strudel suddenly ran up to them.

"Luigi! Wait!" she called, reaching out. "My father wants to talk to you!"

Luigi instantly stopped and waited for the elder man to catch up with them.

"Luigi! Please…stay here in Plumpbelly Village!" the mayor begged. "We won't be able to thank you enough for saving all the women of our village, and as my greatest token of gratitude…I'd like you to marry my daughter…"

Team Luigi's jaw dropped as Strudel danced up to Luigi and grabbed his hands.

"Will you marry me Luigi? Think about it! Without Hizza, life will slowly return back to the way it was before! And, in the future, you'll become mayor of the village!"

"These people sure love to get to the point…" Blooey stated. Luigi glanced over to Malon, who was looking awfully uncomfortable.

"Are you okay Malon?"

"I'm fine! I, um, forgot to give Strudel back her wedding dress!" Malon chuckled nervously, handing it to said girl. "You'll probably need it for your wedding anyway…"

Strudel accepted her dress and put on her headband. "Ah! Thank you Malon…even if you did steal in the first place…"

Marikina suddenly jumped out from behind the mayor and let out a girly squeal.

"This is so awesome Strudel!" she cried. "You're going to be married!"

"Oh this is wonderful!" the mayor added. "My daughter…with the perfect husband! Quick! We must prepare! Strudel will be wed as soon as possible!"

"Don't be long Luigi!" Strudel called, running after her excited best friend. Malon stared down at her boots before running to Bosco's ship.

"Malon!" Blooey shouted, chasing after her. "Don't run away _again_!!"

"Wait for us at least!" Jerry called. Everyone left Luigi standing there in a daze.

"I didn't even say yes…"

----

Later that night, Strudel was all dressed up in her wedding dress, the one Malon "borrowed", looking positively striking. She constantly twirled in front of the mirror, the white dress flowing outwards like a flower. There was knock on the door, and she quickly trotted over to answer. It was Luigi, smiling softly to prevent himself from disappointing her.

"Luigi! Why aren't you in your tuxedo?" Strudel questioned. "The most important day of your life, and you're not even ready!"

Luigi grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, um, actually…I'm going to be forward about this: I'm really sorry Strudel. You're really cute and nice and everything, but I can't marry you-"

"_Why? _This...this could work! You'll be happy here, the Piantas are really nice and everything and-"

Luigi pulled out his compass. "Because…when I accepted the Marvelous Compass, I made a promise to the Waffle Kingdom to bring back their princess, a promise to Crepe that I would gather it's pieces, and I promised Éclair I would save her…" He placed the compass back in his pocket. "…and if I stayed and married you, I'd be breaking that promise…and I'd be hurting a friend."

Strudel suddenly had a change of heart and was on the verge of tears. "That's so _beautiful!_ And I thought you were always a klutzy but loveable loser…"

"Yeah…wait WHAT!?!"

Strudel draped her arms around Luigi. "You go on your adventure. I'll tell Daddy you said no, and you and Malon go save the day."

Luigi struck another pose. "Yes…just like what heroes do…"

Strudel rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Hurry up. I think your boat's leaving…"

Luigi's voice rose several pitches as he turned around and shouted. "WAIT FOR ME BOSCO!!!"

----

_The wedding was to be held under the stars in the village square. Everyone was buzzed about the marriage of the mayor's daughter, but when only the bride arrived, everyone had their questions…_

_----_

Malon sat glumly in the ship, Blooey and Jerry trying the best to cheer her up.

"What are we supposed to do now?" she sighed. "Without the compass, we can't hunt down the pieces, and we don't have anywhere to go…and I don't even know how to get home!"

"Don't be too sad Lass Malon…" Bosco stated. "At least Master Luigi will be happy!"

"I hope he is…" she snorted back. "Just take us to Rogueport, maybe Link will take me home…"

"As you wish…"

As the S.S "Loss" started making waves, there was a unexpected thud that came from the back.

"What in the world?!"

"We've been hit! We're going down!!!"

Malon ignored the partners' screams of terror and looked out the window to see a green plumber in a heap on the deck.

"Luigi!?!"

She instantly ran outside and helped Luigi up.

"Oogh…I hit the deck with that jump…" he muttered.

"You're not getting married to Strudel?" Malon asked, a sneer hinted at the end of her statement.

"No…there's no way I'd leave you and my own adventure behind!"

Luigi sat up and shook it off, Malon helping him into the cabin.

"Well! Glad to see you're back Master Luigi!" Bosco chuckled.

"As much as I hate you, I'm slightly glad you're back too!" admitted Blooey.

Jerry sniffed and turned away. "Can't say the same for me, Scar…"

Luigi sighed and collapsed into a chair. "Man…I'm going to sleep until we get to Rogueport- I figure we might as well upgrade Jerry…"

Before he could even close his eyes, a soft, beautiful, female voice called out to him.

_"Luigi…"_

"What is it Malon?"

"I didn't say anything!"

_"Luigi…"_

"What the heck…?"

Luigi pulled out the compass to find it was glowing.

_"Luigi…I believe in you…"_

"Princess Éclair!" Luigi gasped. "I can hear her! She's talking to me through her compass piece!"

"Incredible…" gaped Jerry.

"I'm sure you mean…marvelous!" Blooey joked, getting everyone to laugh.

"I don't mean to nag, but it is pretty late, and Rogueport is really far away! I think you need some rest- we'll arrive at around 4 tomorrow!" Bosco explained.

Blooey yawned. "I'm cool with that. Night!"

He floated to his bedroom, with an equally tired Jerry following behind him. Bosco turned to Luigi and Malon.

"You're not going to bed?"

"Not just yet…" Malon trailed. She glanced to Luigi and smirked. "So…what changed your mind?"

Luigi shrugged. "Meh, I guess I'm not ready for marriage…"

"Oh yeah right! You were drooling over her!"

Well, in truth…you seemed pretty upset when you gave Strudel the wedding dress…"

Malon eyes widened, and a small pink blush appeared on her cheeks. "Yeah, because I thought-"

"You like me!" Luigi teased. "You didn't want to see me with someone else!"

Malon gritted her teeth and stood up. "That's not true! I was concerned for your safety!"

"Ah, every girl wants a piece of Luigi…Daisy, eventually Éclair, and now you..." Luigi sighed, walking around. "…it must be my mustache luring you…"

"I'm going to boot bash you into next week if you don't shut up!" Malon threatened.

"Don't try to deny it! You know you do!"

"That's it!" Malon whipped out her flute and played a furious tune. Luigi gulped and dove under a table. A sudden metal stretching sound was heard, and the table transformed into a cage, trapping Luigi.

"H-Hey! What was that for?! I was only kidding!"

"I told you to stop…" Malon scoffed. "Enjoy your night camping under the table! The spell will wear off tomorrow…"

She skipped smugly into her room, leaving Luigi to shout he was sorry several times and that his heart belonged to Daisy...and maybe Eclair eventually. The only thing heard about the noise was Bosco's light laughter.

----

Sometime around midnight, a soft, relaxing tune could be heart throughout the ship, and Luigi was able to go to his own bed.

Luigi wondered why Malon changed her mind.


	18. A Quick Stop Between

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 17: A Quick Stop Between

Luigi woke up, surprised to find he was actually in a bed, and tumbled out of bed.

"What a night…I wonder what time it is…"

He yawned, stretched, got off the floor, and trotted into the main area. Malon was sitting at the table, reading a guide while Blooey and Jerry were arguing over grilled cheese.

"By the sound of the partners, I'm just in time for lunch…" Luigi muttered.

"Yeah, they're fighting over what side the mustard should go on, and Bosco just thinks there shouldn't be any mustard at all…" Malon explained, not taking her eyes off the book. Luigi walked over and glanced over her shoulder.

"What exactly are you reading?"

"It's a guide of the Waffle Kingdom. Bosco dug it out of a compartment, and I'm reading up on Circuit Break Island."

"Before we even go there, we need more fuel from Rogueport!" Bosco called back. "These trips from A to B are really taking a toll!"

Malon dug around in her pocket and pulled out a red rupee. "Will this pay for some?"

Bosco smiled and shook his head. "Thank you, but no thank you Lass Malon. Trust me, I'll be fine!"

"Are you sure about that?" Blooey snipped, taking a break from his fight.

"Of course! After all, I am helping two heroes save a sweet princess. The least I can do."

Malon grinned and put the rupee back in her pocket. "Speaking of heroes, do you think we'll meet any _other_ people from different worlds?"

"Technically _you_ were a freak accident…" Luigi explained. "…but who knows? Maybe we'll run into another one!"

"Grilled Cheese! Grilled Cheese!" Blooey and Jerry chanted. Malon groaned.

"You two are acting like kids!"

"I'm only 16!"

"I'm only 14!"

"Yeah, and I'm 15!" Malon exclaimed back, putting the sandwiches onto a large plate. The moment it was placed on the table, Blooey and Jerry started scarfing them down. Malon dared to stick her hand in and pulled one out for Luigi.

"Take it before they're gone! I already ate anyway…"

Luigi nodded and took a bite.

"So how old are you Luigi?" Malon asked innocently, reaching for the guide again. Luigi nearly choked on the sandwich.

"Um…what…if I told you…I was only 18?"

Malon dropped the book, Blooey choked, and Jerry gagged.

"…What?"

"I thought you'd be…20 at the youngest. Maybe 24..."

"How old is Mario then?!" guffawed Jerry.

"…25..."

"You're freaking 7 years apart?!"

"Hey! I've seen people with siblings 16 or more years apart!"

"I thought you were twins!" Blooey gaped.

"Not in this story…"

Silence. Then, Malon spoke up.

"That also means you're only a year older than Link…"

"…and him and Mario are 8 years apart!"

"This hurts my brain…"

Luigi took a seat. "Anyone know how old Samus is?"

"Who the heck is Samus?" snorted Blooey, tearing out another shred of the sandwich.

"Link told me she just turned 19..." explained Malon. "…but when they met, she was only 13, Link was 11 and a half, Sonic was ten, and Kirby was really young…"

"I thought she was 20..."

"I thought you were 20 too, but we wrong wern't we?"

"This is going in the history books…" Blooey noted, writing everything down.

"Then how old IS Kirby?!" question Jerry.

"No one really knows…just younger than Sonic…Link thinks he remembered Kirby saying he's 8 in his world, but his world's time runs slower and he's 13 everywhere else- but I don't really know."

Luigi's eyes widened. "Link told you all that?"

"Of course! He tells me everything about his other adventures…"

"Mario never tells me anything…maybe 'cause he's mean, or maybe because he doesn't talk in the first place...but he's never had any inter-dimensional travel either…"

The conversation died down, the only sound the waves, and people smacking down on grilled cheese. Malon picked up her book once more, and finally found the section on Circuit Break Island.

"…okay, Circuit Break Island is really a super huge track where races are held every day. Also known for a small amusement park and tourist area. When people win their daily races, they get a trophy!"

"Anything else?" Luigi asked. Malon suddenly dropped her jaw and turned the book to Luigi.

"Look at the picture of the trophy…"

On the very top was the third Marvelous Compass Piece.

"They give that to random people every day?!"

"We'd better get there fast!"

"Don't go too fast-it'll cause a circuit break!"

"Don't try to be Link, Luigi…"

---

Back in Rogueport, Luigi leveled up Jerry, and headed for the now open West Side.

_Jerry-_  
_HP: 20_  
_Moves:  
__Body Slam (4 atk)_  
_Bomb (3 FP, 5 attack)_  
_Cherry Bomb (6 FP, 6 atk)_

"Well this sure is a nice little area!" Luigi cheered. There were decent houses, a flower garden, and the people didn't even seem half as threatening as the East side!

"We don't really have time for sightseeing you know…" murmured Blooey.

"According to the book, we need to get a Green Passport in Frogfield, but the only way to even do _that_ is from some weird connection in Rogueport…" read Malon.

Jerry stared to ponder this "Well how do we know who that is-"

"Hey! Luigi!" Sonic from nowhere suddenly pointed out, and everyone quickly turned to the approaching group and leaving Jerry's statement behind.

"Oh yeah! Nothing important from me at all! Nope!" Jerry snapped.

Mario, Link, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and a small red Yoshi caught up with Sonic. Malon instantly jumped forward and struck a pose.

"Hi everyone!" she called. "See Link? I'm not dead-"

_"-Yet."_

"Oh, with the negativity!"

"How was your guys' time in Plumpbelly Village?" Koops asked.

"MalonI**really**don'tthinkweshould-"

"Oh it was _so _interesting! Do you wanna hear?"

"Yes I do…" Link replied, squinting at the green plumber. Mario said they had time.

**One unsure and slightly shaky half hour later…**

Link had fainted from the danger and trauma Malon had been in, Sonic was intently listening, and everyone else was sleeping.

"Wow! I can't believe you're alive after all that…" Sonic commented.

"Neither can I…" Blooey grumbled.

"Now we're off to Circuit Break Island!" Luigi cheered. "…we'd better leave before Link comes to though…"

"Understood. Good luck!" Sonic called.

"Wedding dress…" muttered Jerry. "Skirt…"

"Get over it Jerry…"

Luigi snagged Malon's wrist and Jerry's fuse and sprinted back to the docks.

-----

"Okay. No more west side for a while…" panted Luigi.

"Apparently Link doesn't take Malon almost getting eaten by a snake very well…" Blooey pointed out.

"But who's the guy to ask about the Passport to Circuit Break Island?" whined Jerry.

"Eh…did you say Circuit Break Island?" a blue Bob-Omb with a sailor bandana asked, walking up.

"Yeah…"

"Why? Have any info?" Blooey asked instantly.

The bomb tilted his head back. "Course I do! You just head to the Waffle Kingdom, go to the east side of Frogfield, and tell my pal Dynamite that ol' Bomberto said to hook ya up, m'kay?"

"Sure! Sounds easy enough!"

"Thank you Bomberto!"

"Don't mention it. Literally. I wasn't even supposed to mention it to you!"

They all nodded and climbed back onto the S.S. "Loss".

"Where to, Master Luigi?" Bosco asked.

Luigi struck a sailing pose at the helm of the ship. "Set sail for Frogfield!"

And off they went, knowing little of what was in store for them…

* * *

**This was a shorter one, but the next one's one of my favorites! :D And Circuit Break Island is a pretty cool Chapter in its entirety too.**


	19. A New Friend and Random Sayings

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 18: A New Friend and a Random Saying

Upon arriving in Frogfield, the Frogs instantly welcomed them and even gave them all a waffle cone soft serve.

"Now this is cuisine!" exclaimed Jerry, somehow managing to eat the ice cream.

"Remember, we're supposed to be finding some Dynamite guy in the east part of town," Malon reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah…all we have to do is simply ask for directions and we'll be golden!" Blooey shrugged off.

Luigi glanced around the town of frolicking Frogs, trying to make the best of what they could while their princess was gone.

"I suppose we could…" Luigi decided. Blooey walked up.

"Allow me…"

"I almost don't want to…"

Blooey scanned the area until he saw a female Frog trotting along. He ran up to her and tackled her- wait WHAT?!

"Hey you! FREEZE!" screamed the blooper before tackling the innocent creature to the ground.

"What the…get off me you freakish deli item!"

"_Deli item?!_ Take that back! I just wanted to ask you directions!"

Malon and Luigi instantly ran up while Jerry acted like he didn't even know them.

"Blooey! Get off of her! What's the matter with you?!" shouted Malon, pulling her soul partner off the victim.

"I was trying to get some info!"

As Luigi help the girl up, he simultaneously recognized her.

"Frogette! Oh my gosh-I'm really sorry the insane squid attacked you! His uncle was brutally beaten not too long ago…"

"Ooh…" Frogette moaned. When she came to her senses, her eyes widened. "Oh Luigi! I almost thought I wouldn't see you again! How's the adventure going?"

"Really great! I've already got 2 pieces of the compass!" Luigi told her, even holding out the Compass.

"Wow! Where are you headed next?"

"We're going to Circuit Break Island!" explained Malon. "…but we have to find a guy name Dynamite to give us a Green Passport!"

Frogette put her hand on her chin. "Hmm…Dynamite…Green Passport…ah! You must mean Monterey Jack! His nickname is Dynamite…and he gives people passports to the island if they're cool enough to get to him. His father was the legendary Pepper Jack, the kingdom's greatest motorcyclist, but got really old and now no one knows what happened to him...and there's rumors Monterey has a daughter, but no one's **_ever_** seen her…let alone even exist!"

"That's sweet!"

"That's interesting!"

"He's got a pretty secret family, that's for sure!"

"Know where Dynamite is?" Jerry repeated. Frogette shrugged.

"They say he lives at the easternmost point of Frogfield, but no one can get past this huge wall that blocks it from the rest of the field. Maybe if you go there you'll figure something out!"

"Sounds like our only chance at the moment. Let's go!"

Following the compass, the gang ventured to the east, until a huge, lumbering black wall came into view…

"They weren't kidding when they said it was blocked by a wall…" gulped Jerry.

"Hey! Get away from me!" a young boy's voice suddenly cried.

"What was that?"

"Obviously someone calling for help, Luigi!"

"I know, but-"

"Look out!"

The victim sudden ran into Malon, sending them both to the ground. They had their eyes squeezed tight to brace for impact, but the victim was strangely small and soft. They opened their eyes at the same time and gasped.

"M-Malon?" the young fox asked.

"Tails?!" gaped Malon.

"_Tails?"_ questioned Luigi.

"Rainbow Fuzzies!" Blooey wailed. Malon, Tails, and Luigi constantly exchanged glances.

"What are you doing here Tails?!" Malon exhausted.

"I-I'll explain later! We just need to get these things off my tails!"

He pulled out a wrench and prepared to battle. Luigi and Malon shrugged and took a stance too as the Rainbow Fuzzy Brigade advanced upon them.

"So we meeeet again, meork?" Black asked.

"Not you again!" complained Luigi.

"Why were you chasing Tails?!" Malon demanded to know.

"We not going to tell you! We going to suck up your SOULS!!!"

"I hope they don't have a fuzzy that really does that…" hoped Jerry.

They began the battle, taking into consideration that the Silver Fuzzy was replaced by a White one. Luigi nervously started off by KO-ing the Black one with a simple jump. Jerry then used Bomb on the Pink.

"I hate being so weak…" Black hissed. "All right troops! You know what to do!"

Pink jumped onto Luigi, taking away 3 of his FP. Green bounced up to Jerry and tried to bite him, but Jerry ducked at the last moment. The Gold snuck up on Jerry and chomped him from behind.

"OW!"

"Tastes like cherries, meeeeork!"

"I wanna taste!" Red called, tackling Jerry and gnawing insanely.

"Augh! Augh! Get it off, please!!!"

"What are these things?!" Tails asked while making a face.

"Fuzzies…they're like little mutant vampires…" Blooey explained darkly.

"Uh…okay?"

Jerry finally managed to kick Red off, suffering 6 damage. While he was catching his breath, the Blue Fuzzy suddenly clonked him in the head, then Luigi, then back to Jerry, and Luigi managed to block and end his chain.

"I'm afraid of Fuzzies now…" Jerry shivered. "What does the White do?"

The White one just blinked before screaming like a banshee and crashing thunder onto everybody, including Malon, Blooey, and Tails.

"What the…"

"These things are insane!!"

Malon instantly boot bashed Pink. "Gosh I hate these things so much…"

Pink fell beneath the might of the bash, and Blooey suddenly pulled out a Thunder Rage of his own.

"EAT LIGHTNING RED FUZZY!!" Blooey wailed.

"Don't you mean any of them?" wondered Tails.

"He has a bad experience with the Red one…" Jerry explained. Lighting struck each and every Fuzzy, draining 5 HP. Green was at two, so he flipped out and made a copy of himself. Blue bounced on Malon and Blooey twice each-Malon managed to super guard him, Red took a large chomp out of Blooey, forcing him to curse Luigi's name to the poor sky.

"You look good in tan though Blooey…" Malon tried to assure.

"…but I taste too good now!"

"He's got that right meeeeork!"

"SHUT UP!"

Gold tried to bite Blooey, but the blooper was already fired up and super guarded it right back. Blooey finally admitted defeat under the shock of the White Fuzzy, sending him into peril.

"Aw man! I'm paralyzed!" Malon complained.

"It's your turn to go Tails…" Luigi pointed out. Tails snapped backed into reality with a small gasp.

"M-me? Okay…"

He pulled a wrench out from his fur, wailed out a battle cry, and gave the Red Fuzzy a concussion before it passed out. Blooey and Jerry went wild.

"I LOVE that kid!" Blooey cheered.

"I'm hanging with him for a while…" Jerry decided, trotting behind Tails. Tails just grinned and scratched the back of his head. Black Fuzzy jumped furiously on the sidelines.

"This isn't over yet!!!" he screamed. Luigi pulled out his compass and smirked.

"I think it is now!"

The Marvelous Compass' Western Piece began to shine, and the area around the battle started to shake violently. A whole bunch of rocks fell onto the Fuzzies, damaging them all 6 HP, but it was still enough to kill all but the clones green one. Tails just looked on as Luigi super guarded the Green Fuzzy, NOW defeating it. He ran up to Luigi and stared at the compass.

"That was incredible! H-how did you-" he stammered.

"They don't call it a _marvelous_ compass for nothing!" Luigi chuckled. Malon, Blooey, and Jerry groaned. Malon made her way up to Tails and hugged him.

"Aw Tails! It's been so long…you've grown!" Malon squealed.

"…she likes animals…" Blooey mumbled, recalling his own experience.

"Yeah I know…but I don't really mind actually…" admitted the fox. Malon let go and walked over to Blooey.

"This is my Soul Partner Blooey, and the Cherry Bomb over there is Jerry…"

Blooey said "Yo." while Jerry bowed. The plumber then stuck his hand out. "Hi! I'm Luigi- we never officially met…"

Tails took his hand and shook it. "My name is Miles Prower, but everyone just calls me Tails because…well, you know…"

He stuck out his tails and Blooey instantly blurted out.

"Why do you have two tails?! That's _so_ freaky!"

"Blooey…" scolded Malon. "That's rude!"

Tails just shook it off. "It's okay…I got used to it. But I like having two tails- I can fly!"

Luigi, Blooey, and Jerry's eyes bugged out.

"No way…"

Tails struck a pose. "It's true!"

"Then show us!" Blooey challenged. Tails smirked and stretched out his tails.

"Behold-I can fly!"

His tails started to rotate, and like a living helicopter he hovered into the air. Tails flew around Blooey's head, swooped over Jerry, made Malon's hair blow into her face, and knocked Luigi's hat off.

"H-hey!"

"Sorry!"

He quickly hovered back down, caught it, and handed it back to Luigi before landing. Blooey and Jerry were instantly all over Tails.

"You're so cool!" "I can't believe you can fly!" "Can I be your partner-I hate Luigi…" "I hate Luigi too!"

"Whoa-calm down…" Luigi stated with a slight grunt.

"Yeah guys-we don't even know if he wants to come with us! If he's here, he's gotta be here for a reason…" added Malon.

Tails turned and pointed to the large black wall. "You know how there's supposed to be a guy who gives Passports away over there?"

"Of course."

"When I ended up here, I took up a job from a guy named Torque to fix one of his karts on Circuit Break Island so-"

"-you need a Green Passport to get there!" gasped Luigi.

"We're going to the same place!" Blooey cheered.

"But…how did you end up here in the first place Tails?" asked Malon quietly. Tails' ears drooped and he plopped against the tower wall.

"It's a medium sized story…"

-------

_Tails flew as fast as he could after Sonic, hoping he wouldn't be too late._

_"Why must my best friend be the fastest thing alive?" he sighed. Finally, he saw a blue figure standing on the tallest loop of Green Hill Zone._

_"Sonic! Wait!!!"_

_Sonic turned around as Tails suddenly flew into his arms._

_"Don't leave again Sonic! You don't come back for weeks, and I really miss you…"_

_Sonic placed Tails on the ground and bent down to his level. "I told you Tails, when we figure out how you teleport, you can come with me and…_Amy_ and meet some other world friends of your own! I know we did, that's for sure!"_

_"But we never found out…and how are we supposed to if you're always gone?" Tails protested. Sonic poked him lightly in the chest._

_"You have to have a pure will to leave your own home world…according to Link, at least. Your will just isn't strong enough!"_

_Tails clenched his fists. "What exactly is_ wrong_ with our world, Sonic? Why do you always want to get away from it all the time? Mobius is beautiful, exciting, and…well, it never gets old to me!"_

_"But it does to me…" the hedgehog replied in a whisper. "…when I come back from this vacation, I promise I'll help you, but we've been planning this since we saved the Star Rod!"_

_Tails turned his back and folded his arms. "I bet you're leaving because of Link isn't it? That's all you ever talk about when you get back! Link said this hilarious joke, and we did that dangerous thing and lived, then we battled some random monster!" he glanced down, blue eyes starting to shimmer. "…but you can't do those things with me apparently…"_

_Sonic stood up and placed a hand on Tails' shoulder. "It's not about Link, or anyone else…I'm just a guy that loves adventure, and whenever I see an opportunity, I can't say no!"_

_Tails sighed and nodded. "I understand…just…go…have fun with Amy and Samus and Link…"_

_He sadly floated away, Sonic reaching out but not grabbing his friend. He sighed and Amy suddenly ran up with armfuls of luggage._

_"Hi Sonic! Are you ready to go?! I'm _dying_ to see Peach again!" she squealed, completely oblivious to the events that unfolded moments before._

_"Yeah, I'm ready…teleport to Toad Town's Harbor-I'll meet you there in a minute…"_

_Amy shrugged. "Don't be long Sonic!"_

_With a might swing, her hammer came crashing down to the hill, Amy vanishing with the very swing. Sonic turned around and glanced over his shoulder._

_"If you're still around Tails, I hope you know I meant every word I said. I never break my promises…and you're still my best friend…"_

_He then jumped up, spin dashing in a hovering state and whirling faster and faster, until he disappeared in the blink of an eye._

_Tails had watched, and heard, the whole thing._

_-----_

Malon was hugging and comforting Tails, telling him it was going to okay as everyone else just looked on. Tails just sat there and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not a baby you know…"

"I know…but you're so adorable and I don't want to see you sad!"

Tails gently shoved her off. "I'm not sad anymore. Whenever I'm upset, I give my biplane-"

"You have a plane?!" "Awesome…it adds to your coolness!"

Tails chuckled. "Thanks…usually I'm just thought of as a sidekick instead of the real deal, you know?"

Luigi shook his head. "Tell me about it! I'm so forgotten…"

"…never get any credit…"

They glanced at each other and said at the same time: "…and my older brother _always_ gets the glory for something I did!"

They blinked and wailed out, "Finally someone understands!"

Malon giggled. "I appreciate you two, if it helps!"

Tails smiled. "Well, anyway, I was tightening a loose bolt with my wrench, and my tails just started spinning out of control! Next thing I knew, I wanted to teleport like Sonic, and I…arrived in Frogfield, got my job while asking where I was, and those Fuzzies started hunting me down."

"Another freak accident, eh Luigi? Sounds just like my situation…" Malon muttered.

"Well, that fact aside, would you like to join us to save a princess? We could use another member…" Luigi asked. Tails stood up and nodded.

"Yeah…yes I do! Maybe I'll find out why Sonic likes to leave so much…"

Blooey and Jerry (somehow) managed to slap high fives.

_Tails-_  
_HP: 20_  
_FP: 15  
__Moves: _  
_Tail Spin- 4 attack_  
_Wrenching Blow- 3 FP, 6 attack_

_Special Ability: Can fly the group over obstacles and can do some quick thinking…_  
_Battle Ability: Can Sometimes Attack Twice_

"So you guys need to get over that wall right?" Tails questioned. Blooey blew a raspberry.

"Pah! Who said anything about over? Not with the Tan Torpedo around!"

"Uh, Blooey-"

Blooey let out a battle cry and threw himself into the wall-obviously this didn't work.

"That had to hurt…" moaned Luigi. Tails sighed, grabbed his hand, then Luigi grabbed Malon's, then Malon grabbed Blooey's tentacle, and Blooey grabbed Jerry's fuse.

"Whoa…you're a lot heavier than I thought…" Tails strained. Nevertheless, he carried them up several feet, over the wall, and back down again. Blooey let go before they even reached the ground and he and Jerry ended up in a bush.

"Sigh…Blooey, Blooey…" Malon tisked.

"I was anxious!"

"Guys…look at this place!" Luigi gasped. Everyone gathered their senses and gasped. A white mansion sat on top on a small hill, surround by trees and a fountain. A large garage filled with motorcycles sat quite obviously in the back.

"No wonder this place was blocked off!"

"Hey! Who's there?!" a guard suddenly shouted, running up to the intruders.

"Don't worry team…I'll take care of this!" Luigi assured, standing in front of the group. "We're here to-"

The guard picked Luigi up and chucked him into the wall. All eyes bugged out and turned to the guard.

"No one comes over the wall unless they have scheduled appointment with Master Jack the Second…"

"Fancy title!" Blooey whistled. The guard glared down at the blooper.

"Would you like to join your plumber pal?"

"Okay one-I hate him, two, I would not like to be thrown into a wall-"

The guard did anyway, just missing Luigi. Malon growled and pulled up her sleeve.

"Listen buddy! We didn't come here to be beaten senseless-and no one throws my Soul Partner except for me!"

The guard laughed. "You wanna take me, little girl?!"

"That's enough Buster…" a calm, slick voice rang out. "Buster" dropped his fists, sent a glare to Malon, and stomped off. A man in his early thirties, but still young looking suddenly stepped out. His yellow-orange hair was slicked down, he wore a leather jacket, simple jeans, and black show-offy shoes.

Blooey made a face. "If I didn't judge by stereotypes, I'd say you're a too cool jerk!"

Luigi, Malon, and Tails dog piled their hands onto Blooey's mouth. Jerry coughed and explained.

"Sorry about that…poor guy doesn't know when to shut up!"

Blooey shouted a muffled "HEY!" but no one could understand him. The man just chuckled.

"No problem- Bloopers are like that."

"Someone understands!" Luigi sighed. Blooey started to flop around desperately.

"Are you Monterey Jack?" Tails asked, struggling to keep Blooey in one spot.

"Sure am! I suppose you people are looking for a passport?"

"To Circuit Break Island please!" Malon begged. Monterey just grinned again.

"Sorry, I can't give them to you just yet…"

"Why not Mr. Jack?"

Monterey put up a hand. "Whoa. Mr. Jack is my father. You kids can call me Dynamite."

"All right then_ Dynamite_…" Luigi began. "…what's it going to take to get us a Green Passport?"

Dynamite folded his arms. "You see, I'm only allowed to give Green Passports to those who are potential racers…"

"So? I'm a Karting expert!" Luigi scoffed.

"Racing isn't all about speed-it's about strategy too, including quick wits!"

"We'll remember that, so we'll just take a passport and-" Blooey started to reach for the passports, but Malon smacked him away.

"But Bomberto told us you'd hook us up!" Malon stated. Dynamite's eyes lit up.

"my old pal Bomberto, eh? That changes everything…"

"So can we have our passport?"

Dynamite smirked and tapped the passport in his hand.

"Rumors always spring up from a shard of truth…"

"Well THAT was a subject changer!"

"Figure out what I mean and I'll give you the passport!"

As everyone argued over what the heck the guy was talking about, Tails hung back and thought it over.

"Do you think we're nerds of something?!" Blooey yipped. "Can't we fight Buster instead or something!?"

Dynamite laughed. "Ha! If you even got near Buster again, he'd put you in a fried blooper sandwich- with a cherry-bomb top!"

"Grr…" "How insulting…"

"D-do you mean lies are created by a little bit of the truth?" Tails asked quietly. "Because something happens, and someone could either twist it up a little, stretch out the truth, or just flat out lie, but then what really happened would still have caused the lie…"

Malon blinked. "Impressive Tails…"

"But what does that have to do with racing?" question Luigi.

"It doesn't…" Dynamite shrugged, tossing the passports into Tails' hands. "…I just wanted to make sure you three understood that for later on…it's something only Bomberto and I can understand."

"Wow! Thank you then!" Tails said excitedly. Dynamite winked.

"No problem!"

"C'mon! Circuit Break Island isn't going to wait for us any longer!" Malon chuckled.

"Race you to the wall!"

"Oh, you're on!"

As Tails and Malon raced off, the partners sprinting after them, Luigi turned to Dynamite.

"Would that little statement apply to the rumor about your daughter?"

"All rumors spark with a bit of truth…you just have to uncover what the truth is…"

Dynamite just smirked, twisted around, and walked off with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, by the way…if you run into Bomberto again, tell him I said hi…"

And he left Luigi pondering over the wisdom he just received.


	20. Sailing to Circuit

**This is a really improvised chapter, as you'll soon know. I just wanted to get Tails a little fighting action, since there's no enemies in Circuit Break Island-with the exception of the "boss".**

* * *

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 19: Sailing to Circuit

"Bosco! We're back!" Malon called, climbing into the ship. "We have a new passenger too!"

"Oh really? Who is the little lad?"

"That's me!" Tails said with spunk, hopping into the front seat. "My name is Tails!"

He held his hand out for Bosco to shake, and Bosco took it with a smile.

"Hello Tails! I'm Bosco. You seem like a bright young lad!"

"He's super smart! He can build his own plane!" Malon explained.

"Really…"

Tails scratched the back of his head. "Aw, it's not big of a deal-"

"A_ plane_, Tails! Normal people take MONTHS, maybe years, to simply _fix_ a plane, and you can do the same thing twice as great in an hour or so!"

"Do you know anything about a boat?" Bosco asked.

"N-No…but I'm willing to learn! Well, I do know a few things about hydraulics when my plane transforms into sub-mode, but-"

"It can even transform!" Malon exclaimed, throwing up a hand in exasperation. Bosco chuckled and slapped a cute little sailor hat onto Tails.

"Then you can be the co-captain! Master Luigi, Lass Malon, and Captain Tails!"

"So I get to help you steer?!" Tails questioned excitedly.

"Sure do!"

"Yay!"

"That is a_ really_ cute hat!" Malon suddenly called out, completely changing the subject.

"Okay guys! I'm here and-Oomph!"

Luigi tripped in the entrance. Blooey and Jerry burst out cackling at the poor soul. Malon sighed and headed over to help Luigi.

"Why must you two be such jerks to Luigi?" she sighed.

"He scared me for life!" Jerry belted out.

"he scared my skin for life, that's for sure!" scoffed Blooey.

"Get over it, Blooey…"

Luigi whimpered, "I can't feel my shoulder…"

"Can we ship out now? This Torque guy is waiting for me, and it'll already take a day or two to get there…" Tails mumbled.

"Of course! We're setting sail!"

As Bosco took off, sailing away from Frogfield, Malon, Blooey, Jerry, and occasionally Bosco would ask Tails questions and say how amazing and awesome he was. Tails wasn't used to all the attention and end up with a constant blush.

"You can fly! That is so awesome!" Blooey exclaimed as he brought up the subject again. "I wish I could turn my tentacles and hover into the air like a helicopter!"

Tails chuckled. "It wasn't easy at first, you know…took me a while to finally get it down without crashing into a tree or making a hard landing!"

Everyone laughed as Luigi joined in, looking very frazzled. They all turned and stared at him.

"Uh…I have a bruise on my knee now…"

"You got a bruise from tripping?" "Wow…"

"It's highly possible, you know…" Tails explained. "When high pressure and force are applied to a certain point on the skin, it results in making a mark!"

"…I never knew that." admitted Jerry. "I feel so dumb now!"

Tails nervously shrugged as Luigi made a face.

"I-It's sort of a basic fact for me…"

"I didn't mean it like…well, um, uh…It's just normal for you to be a genius, you know? Not me, I was just a random bomb living in a forest."

"I guess…"

"I still can't get over how you're a 8-year-old prodigy!" Blooey exclaimed.

"Sonic tells me it doesn't matter how old you are, it's how you show off who you really are!"

"I wish Link would encourage me like that…" sighed Malon. "But he's never around anymore! Either he's saving Hyrule or in a whole other world!"

Tails hung his head. "I certainly know how that feels…"

"Me too, for those that care!" Luigi input. Tails and Malon raised an eyebrow. "…what?"

"Erm, nothing…"

"But you don't need them, do you?" Bosco suddenly asked. "You guys have been doing a great job so far, haven't you?"

"Yeah! I suppose we have!" Luigi exclaimed. He jumped for joy, only to hit his head on the ceiling and fall on the floor, everyone cringing.

"Don't forget about your super-jump Luigi…" Malon warned while cringing.

"A little late for that, don't you think?"

**The Middle of Tomorrow-**

It was noon on the ship, and Bosco informed the group that they were way ahead of schedule and could possibly make it to Circuit Break in three hours if everything stayed as it was. Blooey and Jerry were having a fuse/tentacle wrestling contest, Luigi was complaining about his knee, with Malon sitting next to him but turned around to talk to Tails in the front seat, who was studying up on "How to Control a Ship".

"…in case of emergency, every boat has a red lever. Pull the lever when absolutely necessary…" he read aloud.

"What's with all the negative boat talk lately?" groaned Malon. "Can't we just peacefully sail on through?"

"Well, the first thing about controlling a boat is what to do when you don't know what to do!" Tails explained.

"Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense!"

"It does, if you think deeply about it!" Bosco confirmed.

"Men and their boats…" Malon glanced over to Blooey and Jerry, who were neck and neck in their epic competition. Luigi cried out in agony from the pain in his leg, and Malon decided the most interesting person on the entire ship was Tails. Just as soon as he returned to the book, Malon tapped his shoulder.

"What's it like to be in a different world?"

Tails shrugged. "It's interesting, that's for sure, but I'm kinda used to it- I've been on a few adventures of my own…"

"Lucky you. Luigi and I keep getting the short end of the stick…"

A sudden thump in the other room caused all heads but Bosco's to turn and see that Jerry had beaten Blooey.

"Aw yeah! What now?"

"My arm was weak from this tan!"

"Oh, just let it go!"

"Never! YOU'LL PAY LUIGI!"

Luigi just sighed and rolled over on the couch he was laying on. Malon had given up on conversation with Tails and started silently reading over his shoulder. It was just boring facts and a couple diagrams, causing her to groan and fall onto Luigi, having forgotten he was even there. They yelped and propelled from each other as soon as possible. Luigi wailed out and rolled onto the floor, and Malon fell back again, grabbing her heart. Blooey, Jerry, and Tails stared at the two and raised eyebrows.

"What just happened?" asked Tails.

"Pain-" "-nothing you need to know about!"

"Don't go hatin' on the kid 'cause he don't know!" Jerry sniffed, snapping his fuse for emphasis. Now everyone gaped at _him_. "…what? I thought I'd try some slang!"

"Well don't. It just ruins your laid back complexity!" Blooey stated.

"It does defeat the purpose now that he mentions it…" added Tails. Jerry just turned away.

"Still no need to hate dudes!"

"Knock that off!"

A sudden blow was damaged to the roof, and a blaring sound rang out.

"I mean your attitude, not the roof!" yelled Blooey.

"I didn't do that!"

"Well then what DID!?"

"ARGH!" a voice called out from the waves of the ocean. Everyone ran to the front window and yelped. A ship filled with Pirate Bob-Ombs were blasting fellow crewmates at Bosco's ship. It was mostly a crew of blue sailor bombs, but there were also Pirate Shy Guys and a Red Bulky Bob-Omb at the helm. He wore a captain's hat, had an eye patch, black boots, and the ever typical black mustache and beard combo.

"Fear the wrath of Bomb-Beard!" he shouted. "No one gets to Circuit Break Island without getting through me first!"

"You've gotta be kidding!" groaned Blooey. "Bomb-Beard?! Such a threatening name…"

Bomb-Beard growled and launched another barrage at them. Bosco did his best to avoid any hit, but his ship still took damage.

"I think you're going to have to take them on or something!"

"U-Us!? Against random pirates?!" Luigi squealed. "I don't really k-know…"

"I say we go for it!" Malon stated boldly, bow and arrow ready for action.

Tails pulled out his wrench and turned to Luigi. "It would give me a good bit of practice with fighting…"

Luigi sighed and headed for the exit. "Fine, fine…but if they make us walk the plank you two are going first!"

Bosco gave them a nod as he anchored the ship. Luigi led his team out on deck, the pirates climbing aboard instantly. Bomb-Beard was one of the first to step off, his massive beard seemingly giving them a look. Luigi cringed.

"Ye think you're headin' to Circuit Break Island, eh? Not on our watches scallywags!" he boomed. "Ever since one of our own escaped our group, we've been preventing people from leavin' and entering this hear racing slab o' land!"

"Wait, back up…" Tails ordered.

"Tails, don't make conversation!" Luigi hissed in fear. Tails just raised an eyebrow.

"…would one of your crew mates go by the name Bomberto?"

Bomb Beard scowled. "That'd be the one. Do ye know of him?"

"Who cares if we know of him, ye scurvy dog!" Blooey shouted, flying the air. "You're going down either way!"

He performed a Torpedo Throw into Bomb Beard, bringing a battle into existence. Bomb beard was joined by 3 Sailor Bob-ombs and a Pirate Shy Guy.

"If I'm correct, Bomb Beard has 35 HP, the Bob-ombs only have four, and the Shy Guy has 6. Not too bad…" Tails explained. "Bomb Beard's attack is four, defense two, and the Bob-ombs and Shy Guy have normal stats. Of course, if Bomb Beard lights his fuse, his attack increases by 6 times…"

Malon pulled out her flute. "Not a big deal!"

She played Reality Song, hoping it would lower the enemy's attack- or defense, she didn't care. After a up-beat/downer song, it turned out that the attack _was_ lowered. Bomb Beard was now down to two attack.

"Just because ye make me weaker doesn't confirm anything!" he growled, running into Malon for a nasty body slam. The sailor bombs' body slammed Blooey (Blooey blocking one and super guarding another), and the Shy Guy jabbed Malon with a cute wooden sword.

"My turn!" Tails cheered. He grabbed his wrench and ran at bomb Beard, With a quick spin, the head of the wrench collided with Bomb Beard's side, piercing defense and draining 6. Tails then back flipped into the air, circled again, then landed with a huge smile.

"Stylish!"

The stylish move added CP to Luigi's compass, and he'd be sure to use a move when his turn came around. Jerry revved up his fuse and blew up in one of his fellow bomb's faces, defeating it. Bomb Beard snickered and lit up his fuse.

"You've got five turns to beat me- which you can't!" he snickered. Tails and Jerry exchanged glances while the bob-ombs and Shy Guy charged. Jerry blocked a bomb and took damage from the other while Tails slapped the Shy Guy with a tail. Luigi looked around frantically and sighed.

"Why can't I have a partner?!"

"Cause we don't like you!" Blooey and Jerry sneered.

Luigi muttered something under his breath while pulling out his Marvelous Compass.

"Things are about to get wild!" he smirked. Malon and Tails groaned.

"Please, leave the jokes to Link…" Malon moaned. Luigi threw his hands up.

"Now everyone's against me! Wild West!!"

The compass's westernmost piece began to glow a golden yellow, and the ground started to rapidly shake. Luigi, Malon, and Tails managed to stay stable while Bomb Beard's crew danced around uncontrollably. Luigi smirked when a whole mess of tumbleweeds rolled out of nowhere and bulldozed over his opponents.

"Wow. I was expecting random cows myself…" Jerry admitted.

"I thought rocks were supposed to fall during the move?" questioned Tails.

Malon shrugged. "It is Wild West, after all…"

All HP on the opposing side dropped by 5, defeating the Bombs and Guy, but leaving Bomb Beard with 24. He grinned, revealing a snarl of a smile behind his beard, since there was now four turns until he exploded. Malon stepped up and brought out her bow and arrow. She took direct aim between Bomb Beard's eyes and fired her weapon. Bomb Beard howled in pain while Blooey followed up with another Torpedo Throw. His eyes narrowed, and his fuse burned down a three turn's worth.

"You're down to one turn now! Once I explode, ye'll be walking the plank!"

It all came down to Tails. 15 HP, his strongest attack 6...Jerry's strongest attack 6...it wouldn't be enough! Unless…

"I just might have the solution!" Tails stated. "I just hope it works…"

He rotated his tails rapidly and gulped. Bomb Beard's fuse seemed to taunt him.

_"I'll do my best!"_

"Jerry, you go first and use Cherry Bomb…" Tails ordered. Jerry gave a quick nod, then lit his cheery-stem fuse. With a nasty blow, Jerry scorched the front of Bomb Beard. Tails unsurely grabbed his wrench yet put on a determined look. He blasted forward, tails spinning rapidly, and wrench outstretched. Malon and Luigi watched as he struck bomb Beard with his wrench, doing 6, and finishing him off with 4 HP worth of damage with his tails while turning around.

"Nooooooo!" Bomb Beard complained, kicking at the ground like a child. "I haven't been beaten in a blue moon! Now I'm bested by a two-tailed cub?! Retreat, men! We'll cover the south part of the isle instead…"

As Bomb Beard and his crew scampered back to their ship and shipped out, Tails landed back on his feet, surprised he had actually pulled that off. Naturally, Malon, Blooey, and Jerry were all over him.

"Wow! Did you see that!?" gaped Tails, not believing he really pulled it off.

"That was so cool Tails!" Blooey all but screamed.

"How did you manage to pull off both your tricks in one move?!" Jerry exclaimed. "I wish I could do that!"

Malon stepped in front of Tails to defend him. "Hey back off! Give the kid a little breathing room!"

Tails scratched the back of his head with the wrench. "Aw, it was really nothing…I just figured the double damage would finish him off, that's all-"

"AW! I'M SO PROUD!" Malon instantly turned around and nearly hugged Tails to death.

"Gurk! What happened to breathing room?!" Tails gasped. Malon realized her mistake, blushed, and backed off. Luigi walked over to the group, still frazzled by the fact they were attacked by pirates. The trio swarming Tails took three steps back and grinned at Luigi. Tails just blinked. The green plumber stared blankly at Tails before smiling and putting an arm around him.

"You're gonna be a good addition to the team."

Tails beamed as the rest of the group cheered, only to be cut off by Bosco sticking his head out of the window.

"Um, not to dampen the mood, but the boat's engine has damage, and we really can't get anywhere unless it's fixed…"

Everyone turned to Tails. Tails smirked and twirled his wrench between his fingers.

"I'll have it fixed in no time!"


	21. Driven to the Next Level

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 20: Driven to the Next Level

"Are we there yet?"

"No…"

"Are we there yet?"

"Again, no."

"Hw about now?"

"For the 24th time and counting Blooey, NO!!!!"

"Actually, it's "YES" this time-"

All five members of Team Luigi were against the window at the sound of Bosco's voice, eager to see the island. After a few moments, a speck of green came into view, gradually growing into an island with a medium-sized green wall around it, but you could hear the sounds of cars zooming around a track and the peaks of amusement park rides just over the walls. Everyone instantly started getting excited.

"I can't _wait_ to get racin'!" Blooey cheered, sitting in a chair and pretending to drive a car. "Vroom vroom!"

"Yeah, but I've gotta see this Torque guy before anything…" Tails pointed out.

Blooey waved a tentacle. "Of course! That'll be our first priority!"

Luigi was chilling out in the front seat. "Ah, can't wait to get behind the ol' kart again…it's been a while!"

"I can't wait to actually drive one!" Malon cheered. She turned to Tails whose nose was back in the boat book. "How about you Tails?"

Tails shrugged. "I've been in karts before…not that fun-"

"Not that fun?!" Luigi squealed, outraged. "How else do you get that rush of adrenaline like when you pass someone to gain a place, or the thrill of the wind in your mustache, or how your blood pressure rises 100 degrees when that darned blue shell appears out of nowhere and crushes you just when you're about to win a race on the final lap and everything!?"

Luigi started panting angrily, causing everyone to turn to him and give him strange looks. Luigi coughed an calm down.

"Anyway, it's better than what you've been in Tails…"

Tails gave a stiff nod. "Yeah…"

After a few more minutes of sailing peacefully on the sea with no interference from pirates, the group finally docked at Circuit Break Island.

"Well, here we are! Hope you youngsters have fun!" Bosco called to them. Luigi, Malon, and Tails waved.

"See you soon Bosco!"

They headed down the path that led to the only opening in the wall, and Luigi showed the guards at the front their Green Passport. The guards nodded to each and opened the doors. Once inside, the entire group had to gasp.

"Oh wow! This is amazing!" Luigi gawked. The island was the racing cousin of Glitzville. The main attraction was obviously the race track, which wound around the island (and they were standing ten feet away from the outer edge), and all the shops and things were inside the track. There was a Gift Shop, a Repair Shop, the amusement park, and a place where you could buy racing clothes. Three cars whizzed by them, causing a ferocious wind to follow shortly after, nearly knocking Blooey into Malon.

"Incredible…" was all Tails could remark.

Malon placed her hands on her hips. "Before you men get hypnotized by the cars, can we go sign up for a race already? We still have compass pieces to find, ya know!"

Luigi and Tails snapped out of their trances.

"Right, right…there should be a Sign-Up sheet around here-" Luigi began. Tails sudden ran over to the wall, pulled a piece of paper off it, and came back.

"I found another Conveniently Placed Map!" he stated.

"Wow- they sure are convenient!" commented Jerry, standing on his tiptoes to see. The map showed that the Sign-Up sheet was at the Sign-Up booth, which was just a short walk to their right. Luigi folded the map and stored it for safe keeping- after all, it did show where the rest of the attractions were.

**One Short walk later-**

"Hello, good sir!" Luigi called cheerfully to a bored looking Frog who could care less about life. Sitting on his five foot high stool, he glanced down to the girl, plumber, and fox and grunted.

"You wanna sign up for a race?"

"Yup! As soon as possible!" Malon explained. The frog just sighed.

"Well you'll have to wait until tomorrow. The race for today has already been put together and will be starting in two hours. So, I'll pencil you in for tomorrow. Names?"

"I'm Super Luigi!" Luigi stated boldly. "You know, Mario's little brother?"

The frog instantly perked up. "Mario?! Oh man- I _love_ that guy! We have things in common- we both do the same thing every week! I get tired of signing people up; how does he not get tired of saving that princess? I wish I were him…"

Luigi coughed.

"Oh, sorry. Who're you again?"

Luigi groaned loudly. "Luigi Mario, or Luigi Seagle if you want to be more or less official-"

"Next!"

Tails shifted. "Do we have to use our real names?"

"Yes. Name?"

"M-Miles Prower…"

The frog actually grinned. "Cute name. You'll fit in well around here."

"My friends just call me Tails though…"

"I see…" his eyes rolled to Malon. "…and what's you're pretty name, Miss?"

Malon giggled. "I'm Malon…um, I don't think I even have a last name though…"

The frog shrugged and penciled them in. "Your race is tomorrow at high noon, because today's race will be in two hours. You'll need to get karts by then…oh, and there's nice little hotel next to Torque's garage you can stay in…"

Tails' eyes lit up. "We'll be sure to stay there!"

"Thanks for the help!" added Jerry as they headed off.

"Did you hear that? Torque's place is right next to the hotel! It's fate or something!" Tails exclaimed excitedly. "We should head there first!"

"Then we can go find some karts for tomorrow, then we can see a race, then we can explore the island!" threw in Malon. "It'll be so much fun!"

Luigi was consulting the Conveniently Placed Map, studying how to get to the garage.

"Hmm…it says that Torque's place is also the place where we get karts!"

Tails grabbed Luigi and Malon's hands. "So what're waiting for?! Let's get there already!"

He took off into the air, flying his friends over the attractions and to the garage. Luigi looked positively terrified while Malon couldn't help but laugh. Blooey and Jerry hung onto Luigi's leg and hoped for the best.

**Torque's Garage-**

When Tails finally brought everyone back down to the ground, Luigi was afraid he was going to get airsickness while Jerry fainted on the ground.

"Okay guys! This is the place!" Tails exclaimed. Malon raised an eyebrow.

"You're awfully excited about this…" she pointed out. Tails couldn't stop grinning.

"I know- but it's strange…I feel like I was meant to come here!"

He opened the door and poked his head in. Inside, a small turtle-like creature with a green shell was working hard on a green go-kart with a big "1" on the front. On the shell was a wrench, which he was using to turn a bolt on one of the tires. He then removed the wrench, somehow swapped it with a screwdriver, and started to tighten a few things up. Tails walked in with no problems.

"Hi there Torque!" he called cheerfully. "It's me, Tails!"

Torque looked up from his work to see Tails grinning cheekily at him. He stopped in his work and headed over to the group.

"'bout time, eh?"

"We ran into pirates!" Luigi instantly blurted out. When he saw everyone staring, he quickly grinned sheepishly and shuffled away.

"Pirates? Hmm…Oh, you must mean Bomberto's old crew!"

Malon gasped. "What do you know about Bomberto?"

Torque sighed. "Bomberto used to be part of that crew…but he eventually wanted to be a simple sailor and left Bomb Beard. This made Bomb-Beard so furious, he wouldn't let anyone in or out of Circuit Break Island, afraid to lose another crew member, and to prevent Bomberto come back."

"…and you still asked people to come assist you!" exclaimed Tails.

"I needed someone who could best the pirates and do a mighty fine repair job!"

Before Tails could speak, Malon started up again. "Well then Tails here is definitely your guy! He's an incredible mechanic and he's the one who finished off the captain of those stupid pirates!"

"She's making me sound better than I really am though-"

"Stop doubting yourself!" she suddenly snapped. "Even ask Luigi!"

"W-Wait…why?!"

"Boost his self-esteem!"

"How can I do that if _I _don't even have any!"

Malon smacked her head and groaned.

"He _did_ take out Bomb Beard and he _does_ do a great job of fixing things…" Luigi trailed. Torque nodded.

"Well if what you're saying is true then I suppose I'll let you take on the challenge of fixing my best kart: The Big Green 01!"

Tails pulled out his wrench and smiled. "That'll be easy! Just leave it to me! It won't even take long at all!"

Now prepared, he dove straight to the kart and furiously tightened things, pulled strings, and replaced several parts of the kart. Torque, and everyone else, stared wide eyed as Tails just about brought the kart back to life.

"Well, it was a bit sudden, but I fixed it! There really wasn't even much wrong! Just a few bent things, a couple parts that needed to be replaced..."

Torque just gaped. "…wow. That's better than I could've hoped to ever do!"

"Thanks!"

"Now, besides that repair job, what are you folks here for?"

"We're entering tomorrow's race to get the Compass Piece on the trophy!" Luigi explained.

"But we need a couple of karts…" Malon added. Torque understood and nodded.

"Nice. See, I'm the main kart rental guy here, but I can't just hand out karts to anyone…however! Since your little fox friend helped fix my best kart, it'll be my treat!"

Malon clapped her hand. "Great! Thanks!"

"You can pick them out now, but you can't take them until tomorrow…"

"That's okay. We figured that anyway," Jerry said, staring at a red one.

"Which one should we get Blooey?" Malon asked. Blooey jumped up and down, pointing at one in a corner.

"I want that Super Blooper Kart! It's in the shape of me, and it themed your color!"

Malon's eyes lit up. "you're right! It's like it was made for us!"

She jumped into it and pretended to be driving. Blooey hopped in the back and made car noises.

"there's no car here that suits me!" Luigi complained. "That one's too small, that's for a girl, and that one's PURPLE! I absolutely _DESPISE_ purple!"

"Hey Luigi! Check out this sweet bike I found! Whoo!" Tails exclaimed, riding around on a light orange Standard Bike S. "I feel so alive!"

Luigi sagged. "I'll never be able to find a good kart…"

Torque looked pitiful. "Hmm…well, I suppose I could give you the Big Green 01 since you helped me get it fixed, but I swear, if anything happens to it, I'll wrench you head off and _turn it into a screw_!"

Luigi gulped. "I-I understand…"

Torque smiled. "Good! Now, come pick your karts up for the race bright and early tomorrow so you can get a good spot!"

Malon got out of her Super Blooper and nodded. "Of course! Thank you, Torque!"

"Hey Torque…" Tails began, parking his bike back where he found it. "Do you want to be my racing partner?"

"Hey! I was supposed to be your racing partner!" Jerry complained.

Luigi made a face. "What's wrong with me?"

"You scarred me, that's what!"

"I know, but…there's just something about Torque! It's like there's some hidden connection of something!"

'Weird…I'm feeling the same thing!" Torque realized. "Well, actually…I'd be happy to race with you! I've never really been in a race, but there's a first time for everything!"

Tails grinned. "Thanks!"

"Well, we'd better be going now…there's so much to prepare for!" Luigi stated.

"See you tomorrow! And remember, **Luigi**…if anything happens to my kart, you're doomed! **DOOMED**!"

Luigi went completely pale.

* * *

**And hooray, everyone just loves Tails. ^.^ **

**Next time: the gang explores Circuit Break Island before their big race, and run into mishaps, mischief, and a guy who's probably a mistake of nature...**


	22. The Circuit Breaker

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 21: The Circuit Breaker

Luigi, Malon, Tails, Blooey, and Jerry left Torque's shop, with the decision to explore some of the island. Malon suggested they go shopping- which Luigi and Tails groaned at, though Luigi secretly liked to shop- until she mentioned they could get some racing gear. The group could at least agree with that and headed into the nearest shop.

"Woah…It's racing paradise!" Tails gasped.

"Well, yeah, that's what the store's called!" Blooey pointed out, motioning to a giant green neon sign above the doorway that said "Racing Paradise".

"Oooh! Where to start!?" Malon asked, eyeing all the fashionable racing outfits.

"I want a helmet- this track seems way too dangerous!" gulped Luigi.

Malon raced into the outfit department as Tails snagged a bright red racing scarf and heading into "Kart Accessories". Blooey and Jerry went to cause havoc- I mean, explore in the tire wing, and Luigi was left standing before he officially went to find a helmet.

-------

"Calibrator…accelerator…oh cool! Rocket booster! I'm so getting that!" Tails cried, grabbing said object. When he tried to pick it up, it ended up on the ground. "Wow…this is really heavy…"

As he dragged it, he noticed a pair of brown goggles dangling from a rack, almost begging Tails to buy them.

"Hmm…maybe they won't be so bad to buy…"

He snagged them, placed them on his head right in front of his ears, and looked in the mirror.

"Oh yeah! I totally make this style look good!"

He laughed, threw his red scarf over his shoulder, and headed to the check-out area…but on his way there, he spotted a Shine Sprite on a shelf and grabbed it, though it disappeared into his pocket. He blinked for a moment, then shrugged.

"Maybe it was a free item or something! Whatever-I'd better check out!"

-------

Meanwhile, Malon was in the limited women's department of the store.

"This is so stereotypical! Do they think girls can't race!? Well, _I_ heard that Peach was actually an excellent racer!"

She glanced at a pink pair of gloves and groaned.

"Why is everything pink!? Don't they know orange is a girl's second favorite color?"

"Actually, purple is, followed by red, blue-" began a janitor.

"Who asked you?! You're not a girl! And that's not every girl's opinion you know!"

The janitor stuck up his nose. "Well excuse my two cents!"

Malon sighed and pushed away a pink set of boots. Behind those were an orange pair, and above those was an orange biker suit, similar to something Peach or Daisy would wear. Malon grinned and snatched it off the rack.

"What a total stroke of luck! It's my color, my size, and my style!"

Malon even saw an orange pair of gloves and grabbed those too. She rushed into the dressing room and swapped into the outfit. She stared into the mirror, satisfied with the results, but something was missing.

"Hmm…something just seems a little off…" she pondered. Malon then snapped her fingers and pulled out a hair tie. She put her hair up into a ponytail, and the final product was that she looked like a smaller version of a red-headed Peach.

"Oh yeah…" she smirked, pulling her glove on tight. "I'm so ready to race!"

Malon skipped happily off, planning to pay for it all with a red rupee- or maybe even a yellow! The people might've thought it was gold!

-----

As that was going on, Blooey and Jerry were in the tire area, looking and poking and even rolling around in every tire.

"Ah, the sweet smell of burning rubber!" Blooey sighed, running around in a tire along the floor. Jerry was on the other side, fuse lit. Blooey jumped out of the tire at the last minute and Jerry blew it up. They both landed in a not-so far off corner and started cracking up.

"Who knew blowing up rubber was so much fun?" Jerry laughed. "Wanna do another one?"

"You read my mind pal! If only these tires were Luigi…"

They both sighed "Yeah…" before Blooey went to fetch another tire. He found a large monster truck tire and cackled evilly.

"This will be a burn out!"

He jumped in and started rolling to the awaiting Jerry, until he heard rather large footsteps behind him. Blooey poked his head out to see a mammoth-sized security guard tower behind him and the tire. Blooey gulped and started to roll a little faster.

"Quick, Jerry! Hop in before we die!" he shouted.

"you guys are going to pay double for every tire you've destroyed!" the security guard boomed. Jerry shrieked and jumped in the tire behind Blooey, increasing their tire speed. However, the only problem with this was that they couldn't really see where they were going. They blasted on forward, headed right for a giant wall of tire. The security guard shouted for them to stop, which Jerry wanted to take into consideration, but Blooey naturally ignored the order. Jerry poked his head out of the side of the tire and turned white.

"Maybe we really should stop dude…"

"Never! The cops won't take us alive!"

"An avalanche of tires will though!"

"What're you-"

Their Monster Truck Tire plowed into the tired wall, causing it to start to shake. Jerry let out a high pitched yelp and Blooey realized his grave mistake.

"…heh heh, my fault entirely…"

The tires all started to collapse as the guard caught up with them only to be buried under a ton of circular form rubber.

-----

"…um, is this all really necessary?" Luigi said in a muffled tone. He had found his helmet, but it came with large white pads for the rest of his body, padding for the padding, and pillows for extra comfort and safety. Luigi could hardly see! He tried to take a step, but only ended up falling over- safely.

"Of course its all necessary!" a rattled old man cried. "When you get to be my age son, you'll see what dangers that wretched race track has! It's deadly, lethal, and one wrong move can result in a game over! I know, I know…with that padding, you can't possibly get hurt! Weh heh ha heh!"

"With the padding, I can't even drive!" Luigi attempted to say, but his face was in the floor…

"That makes it even safer! Weh heh hah heh!"

"Can't I just have the helmet?"

"All or nothing, you whippersnapper!"

"But it's the only helmet in the store!" Luigi whined. "That's not fair!"

"Take it or leave it!"

"I'll leave it- now can you please get me out of here?"

The old man chortled. "You got yourself in there- get yourself out!"

"Aw man…I just can't win…"

Luigi struggled to inch out of the white fluffy nightmare. He tried to move his arms to remove the helmet, but he couldn't even do that! He shook, shimmied, danced, squirmed, and even tried to bite his way out. It was that bad.

"oh, I never thought it'd end like this…death by something supposedly safe!"

"Clean up, Isle 7! Clean up Isle 7!"

"Huh? I wonder what that could be…"

"Hey. You. Guy." a deep gruff voice growled.

"Oh thank goodness! Someone strong and muscular! Can you get me out of this pillow trap?"

The owner of the voice grumbled something, picked up Luigi, and squeezed him out of the safety containment suit. He fell onto the ground and claimed he sprained something.

"Ow…well, thanks! I'd better catch up with my team so-"

"You. Come with me." the man grumbled again. It was the security guard that had chased Blooey and Jerry, except he now had a tire slung around his neck, one of his ankle, and one stuck on his waist. Luigi curiously scratched his head, but followed anyway. When they arrived at the destination, Luigi's eyes bugged out at the mound of tires and Blooey's head and Jerry's fuse sticking out of them.

"These hooligans belong to you?"

"Unfortunately, yeah…"

The guard raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Then you're gonna have to pay for the destroyed tires they blew up and this mess!"

Luigi glared at Blooey. "you blew up tires!?"

Jerry popped out and frantically pointed at Blooey. "It was his ridiculously stupid idea! His blooper-powers hypnotized me!"

"it doesn't matter who's fault it was- I'm going to need 1,000 coins for this horrendous activity…" he glanced at Luigi. "…and since these two were under your responsibility, you're going to have to pay it up!"

Luigi was ready to break down and cry as the guard held out his hand. Luigi pulled out his entire wallet.

"Here's 999 coins…plus one." he sighed. The guard nodded, picked up Blooey and Jerry, then tossed all three of them back into the main area of the store.

"I can't believe what pain and suffering you two can cause me…" Luigi moaned. "You're lucky I still have a back-up wallet!"

"Hi guys!" "We're back!"

Luigi, Blooey, and Jerry turned to see Malon and Tails in their new racing outfits. Before Luigi had a chance to tell on Blooey and Jerry, the partners decided to at least stay on their good side.

"Whoa Malon! You look like Princess Peach!" Blooey gasped. "Except the hair…"

Malon patter her ponytail. "You think so? That's what I thought…"

"And you look like a pro driver or something!" Jerry gasped, referring to Tails. Tails gave his room-brightening grin and struck a pose.

"You like it? I just decided to do something a little out there…"

"It definitely suits you!"

"Did you guys pay for all that fancy stuff yet?" Luigi asked. Malon and Tails shook their heads.

"No…"

"But we were just about to!"

They rushed to the counter, eager to buy their stuff. The Frog running the cashier seemed just as peppy as the one that signed then up. He glanced at their gear, rang it up, and sighed.

"That'll be 950 coins all together…"

Malon and Tails grinned at each other. Tails placed two rings on the counter, and Malon a red Rupee.

"These should cover it…"

"No they won't. This store only accepts coins."

"What!?" "No way!?"

"You're telling me you won't even take pure gold rings and a priceless gem?!" Malon gasped.

"That's what I'm saying. Now, pay in coins-"

"Now even a big gold Rupee!?"

"No! 950 coins, _please_!"

Malon and Tails turned around and both gave Luigi a pleading smile. Luigi's eyes darted around nervously before pointing to himself.

"Luigi, would you just so _happen_ to-"

"No! I just had to pay for a bunch of useless tires that Blooey and Jerry destroyed! All I have left is emergency money that we need to conserve for supplies!"

"Oh…okay…" Malon said sadly, removing her gloves.

"Yeah, we get it…" Tails added, taking off the scarf. "I just wanted to make it all a little more fun…"

'I'll just have to race in a boring old dress now…"

"I'm _so_ upset…"

"Me too…"

They sighed simultaneously, making Luigi squirm and pulled out his other wallet. He sweat dropped and hung his head while saying, "I'll pay for it…"

Next thing he knew, he was on the ground with a fox and a girl happily saying his name and 'thanks' a thousand times.

"You're the greatest, Luigi!" "You're way nicer than Link!" "I'll make it up to you, I promise!" "Me too!" "Hooray!"

"All right, all right!" Luigi yelped with a light chuckle. The duo got off Luigi, allowing him to pay the cashier. The Frog nodded and allowed them be off.

"Now **I** don't even get anything…" Luigi sighed.

"Well, actually…" the Frog started. "We have a policy that if you spend over 900 coins, you get a free bandanna and two tools! Here you go!"

He handed Luigi a green bandanna, and a Super Hammer. He also gave Luigi a Super Screwdriver, but Tails snatched it to upgrade his Wrenching Blow's attack power and learn the move…well, Screw Driver. Seriously, they can't all be original!

"Have a Circuit-Breaking Day!" the Frog exclaimed, sending them out the door.

-----

"I can't believe we got a Super Upgrade just for buying that stuff…" Tails pondered aloud, looking over his new screwdriver.

"I can't believe I only got a bandanna for an accessory!" complained Luigi, fiddling with the flimsy green cloth.

"What are you talking about? A bandana is the ultimate racing accessory!" Jerry exclaimed.

"He does have a point!" added Blooey. Luigi just gave them a dark look.

"Well, we still have a good two hours before we need to turn in- what should we do?" Malon asked.

Everyone thought it over. Circuit Break Island was known for its racetrack, but there were other attractions too. The one that caught Tails' eye the most was a large red roller-coaster that overlooked the entire island. Malon noticed what he was staring at and grinned- Blooey and Jerry realized too, and they all turned to Luigi. Luigi, once again, glanced around nervously and meekly pointed to himself.

**Hour After Waiting in Line-**

"Oh please, someone help! I'm being held hostage!" Luigi wailed, being held against his will in the line by all four of his team members.

"Calm down Luigi! It's just a roller coaster!" Tails assured. "I'll give us a taste of the speed that we'll be going tomorrow!"

"Yeah, and it's almost our turn!" added Jerry. "Oh, this'll be so extreme!"

"Okay, next batch!" the guy running the ride called. Malon pushed Luigi into the car first, then herself, then Tails, and their two partners were placed in the car behind them. The bars lowered, and Luigi grabbed onto it for dear life.

"This was so not how I planned to go on an adventure!" he whimpered.

"All adventures have to have a little fun!" Malon stated.

"How is a death-bound rollercoaster fun?"

"We're starting! We're starting!" Blooey and Jerry chanted together. The ride slowly started up, Luigi's fear growing with every turn of the wheels. Tails and Malon were bouncing up and down excitedly, hands already in the air.

"here we go!" cried Tails when they reached the top.

"I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm-a gonna die-"

"Luigi-"

"YAAAA_AAAAHHHHH!"_

The roller-coaster took its plunge, causing Luigi to start screaming. The roller-coaster jerked around, jerking poor Luigi along with it.

"I'm going to lose my hat or something!" Luigi managed to get out.

"It'd be impossible!" Tails shouted back. "We're going too fast for that to happen!"

They went around a loop-de-loop, where Luigi's hat flew off. Luigi stared at Tails, who in turned grinned sheepishly.

"I can be wrong sometimes…"

The roller-coaster circled the entire island, the group being able to overlook the track. It was just like the Luigi Circuit back in the Mushroom Kingdom…except the current kart drivers were going by an "anything goes" code. Luigi had found something more terrifying that the roller-coaster. A large, purple bull-dog was literally tearing up the track in his kart- the road was literally rising behind him! Other racers crashed into the broken road, while other suffered the barrage of missiles, bombs, and dynamite being blasted at them from the bull-dog's kart. He violently crossed the finish line, grabbed the trophy right off the stand, and shoved the announcer to the ground before laughing manically and walking away.

"_That_ certainly doesn't look good…"

When the ride came to a very abrupt stop, Luigi went flying out the front, despite the bar being there, but miraculously landed on his feet. He stumbled about, suddenly feeling very sick. His hat fell out of the air and landed softly on his head.

"Hahahaaha! That was fuunnn…" Malon said with her eyes swirling.

"I can't wait to do that on the racetrack!" Tails replied with a hiccup. "We'll win for suuure!"

"Well, I don't think so!" the large bull-dog growled, stomping up to the group and still carrying the trophy. Luigi got himself together to see the jerk have a stare down with Malon and Tails.

"Who're you?" Blooey questioned.

"I'm Macho Max, AKA the Circuit Breaker- King of the Island! And I always will be, since no can beat me in the races! And you shrimps certainly won't either!" Max held up the trophy again and chortled. Luigi, Malon, and Tails all widened their eyes when they saw the Marvelous Compass Piece positioned perfectly on top. Just seeing it in the possession of some chump riled Malon and Tails up, and before Luigi could get to them, they started trash talking.

"You wanna bet?" Malon dared to say."You might be big, but that usually means there's little brains!"

"Yeah, I've seen tougher threats in the shape of an egg!" laughed Tails. Max growled and grabbed Malon by the hair and Tails by the tails.

"I mean it, Weenies! You go on that racetrack, you'll be lucky if you even make it to _last_ place- because I **destroy** anyone who steps foot on that track! So if you know what's good for you, you'll give up, and leave the island!"

Malon yelped and grabbed her head to ease the pain while Tails tried to spin his tails to get free, but it wasn't working. For both of them, it was a really painful position.

"Let go of us!" they cried. Tails dared to bite Max's hand, but Max just laughed and said he couldn't even feel that. Luigi's anger spiked and he jumped into the air.

"Leave them alone!

He Spin Jumped Max in the head, causing him to release his friends, then smacked him in the back with his Super Hammer. Tails, now free, flew into the air and drummed on Max with a combination of his screwdriver and wrench. He then smacked him in the face with a tail before flying out of his grasp. Malon pulled out her flute and started playing a girlie tune. Sparkles revolved around Max, eventually putting him into a girl's outfit. Everyone around saw what had happened and started cracking up. Max snarled and glared at the trio of heroes who had bested him.

"You'd better not mess with my friends again, you hear me!?" Luigi shouted furiously, fists clenched tightly. Max just snorted and turned away.

"The only reason you live now is because I settle this in the track! I was planning on going easy on you losers since you're so weak and pathetic, but not anymore! You're mincemeat! You're as good as gone! You're _mine..._"

He tried to walk away, but ended up tripping on the high heels that were now on his feet. Malon quickly played Epona's Song, summoned Epini, had everyone climb on her, and sped back to the hotel.

**Hotel-**

"That was scary…" Malon trailed, her voice quivering. "I thought for sure he was going to rip my hair out!"

"My tails feel stretched out now…" Tails moaned, flopping on a bed. "We should be lucky he didn't shake us or tear us apart!"

"What time is it?"

"Only 8...but I feel like we'll need all the rest we can if we're going to go up against that monster!" Malon moaned, falling onto another bed. Luigi was slumped in a chair, staring in thought at how close to paralyzed Malon and Tails were, and furious at "Macho Max". Oh, how he wanted to super jump him into the ground…but Max would probably tear him limb from limb, so that was a bad idea too. Everyone knew when Luigi was peeved, and everyone also knew to stay away from him until he calmed down.

"I wonder what Torque's doing…" Tails pondered aloud, looking out the window.

"How come you're worried about him?" asked Malon. Tails shrugged.

"Must be that strange connection…"

He then yawned softly, and Malon couldn't help but giggle. She got out of bed and started to tuck him in. Tails moved around to refuse though.

"I'm too old to be tucked in, " he protested. Malon shrugged.

"So? I'm doing it because you're suddenly too tired to do it yourself!"

"Nearly being beaten to a pulp take its toll on people…"

Tails was already half asleep as the blanket was pulled over his shoulder. Malon yawned now, and climbed back into her bed. She looked at Luigi, who was in his "I'm worried about something" sitting pose.

"Don't let him get to you…we'll deal with him tomorrow…"

Luigi said nothing, but his intent stare softened. Malon closed her eyes while Blooey and Jerry decided to start up a pillow fight. Why were those two so _reckless_? Luigi wasn't going to tell them to stop- he'd get a reply that "he scarred them for life- let them do as they pleased!" and there was no argument for that. He pulled out the Marvelous Compass and sighed.

"Mario never said that adventuring by yourself was so hard…"

In actuality, Luigi always knew that, but experiencing it was something else.

* * *

**Hmph. Even writing about the "Circuit Breaker" makes me mad! Think Rawk Hawk, but obviously more violent. Grr! Anyway, next chapter is the race! Team Luigi shall get their revenge! Or will they? OoOoO...**


	23. Let's Go Racing!

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 22: Let's Go Racing!

"Wake up! WAKE UP!"

"Not now Tails…five more minutes…"

"But the race! Torque! Karts! Two hours!!! Us go NOW!"

Luigi tilted his head up- he had fallen asleep in the chair. Tails was flying anxiously around the room, trying to wake everyone up. The plumber glanced around to see Malon trying to sleep in, and Blooey and Jerry snoring in a pillow mountain that they had left the night before after the pillow war. Luigi stretched and told everyone else to get up. He glanced at the clock: exactly 10 o'clock am. Only two hours to get ready for the race!

"I told you…" Tails mumbled. Luigi scrambled out of the chair and smacked his partners with one of their pillows before shaking Malon awake.

"Come on you guys- we've gotta get ready!" Luigi cried. Malon grunted and swung out of bed, obviously still wishing she was sleeping. Blooey and Jerry jolted up, pillows on both their heads.

"Dur…what happened?" mumbled Jerry.

"You were knocked out last night- literally," Luigi answered.

"What time is it?" asked Malon.

Tails sighed, "Does 'two hours to prepare' mean anything to anyone?"

Malon's eyes opened wide before she sprung out of bed to put on her racing suit. Luigi tied on his lone bandana, and Tails threw on his scarf and goggles.

"We'd better win today!"

"Of course! There's a compass piece at stake!"

Blooey stretched a gave out a really loud yawn. "Awwwwww…yawn. We'd better get heading to Torque's place, eh?"

Tails twirled his wrench. "You'd better believe it! There's a few adjustments I'd like to make to our karts too!"

Malon returned, now in racing gear. "Yeah, that jerk's going to be on the track, isn't he?"

Luigi yelped and clutched his bandana for dear life.

"I completely forgot about that…" he gulped. Tails placed a hand on Luigi's shoulder.

"Don't worry! With the things I'll add, there's no way we'll lose!"

**Torque's Shop-**

Torque was busy tinkering with a bike when Tails flew through the door.

"Hi Torque! Sorry we're late- they slept in!"

Torque winced as he hit his head on the bike's tire and crawled out from under. He glanced at Tails with his red scarf and goggles as Malon and Luigi panted to catch up, and Blooey and Jerry weren't anywhere in sight as of yet.

"The last thing I want to do when I wake up is run after a flying fox…" Malon wheezed. Luigi huffed and collapsed onto the shop's floor. Torque just gave an amused hum.

"You folks are here for your karts, aren't 'cha?"

"Yes sir! But…can you help me make a couple additions to them?" Tails asked. "There's a really mean guy that's going to be racing, and we kinda don't want to die."

Torque thought it over very briefly. "…Oy! You're talking about the Circuit Breaker, aren't 'cha!? Ooh boy, that guy's a jerk! I know the races say everything goes, but everyone's at least a little fair!"

"That's why I want you to help me fix up our karts!" Tails explained. "The Big Green 01's cannon is pretty powerful already, but I'd like to raise the watts up just a little- and Malon's Super Blooper should be able to squirt oil to make his kart slide and shoot blooper torpedoes-"

Blooey, upon arriving, did a little dance.

"-and my bike I'd like to have a shield. I'm more of a defensive person, you know."

"How come I can't have the shield!?" whimpered Luigi. "I don't want to be rammed with nothing to defend myself besides some pumped gun!"

Tails smacked his head. "I guarantee you'll be fine, Luigi. Now, Torque, you up for the challenge?"

Torque nodded. "I 'aven't been this excited to repair something in forever!"

The three karts were pulled out, and while Blooey and Jerry were occupied with an odd non-electric tool, Tails, Torque, Malon, and Luigi got to work on the karts. With limit times, they had none to waste.

Tails started with Luigi's cannon, while Malon was assisted by Torque in installing the Blooper Blaster and Oil Spewer. He'd work on the hard stuff while Malon ran around and swapped out his tools. Luigi, meanwhile, played some fitting music on a boombox he found lying around..

"Twinkle twinkle, little star-"

"Luigi, change the track!"

"Whoops! Heh heh, sorry."

He changed it to epic music and started dancing around.

----

Nuts and bolts were scattered everywhere, and oil dripped constantly onto Tails. Tails was actually quite impressed with Torque's tool swapping ability, though he observed and decided Torque was probably the best with his trademark torque- just like him with his wrench ! Although occasionally he liked a screwdriver.

"Hammer!" Torque barked. Malon removed his current drill, grabbed the hammer, and equipped it to Torque. He then asked for pliers, a saw, a sponge, a wrench, and a cold drink.

"how am I supposed to equip a cold drink!?" Malon complained behind a pile of tools in her arms.

"You're not- fixing things make my throat thirsty."

"Ugh…" she glanced over to Tails and Luigi. Tails was trying to wrench off a really tight bolt, only to finally get it off by pulling super hard and crashing into Luigi.

"Sorry!"

"No problem- things like this happen to me all the time!"

_"So, so lonely…"_

"Oh, not THIS song!"

"Instead of listening to dreary music, you can help me!" suggested Tails.

"_I'd_ rather help you! Torque is a handful!" Malon pouted, holding up lemonade to Torque's throat.

"Ah, hits da spot."

Tails jumped into the Big Green 01. "I'm almost done boosting Luigi's cannon power! Then I can work on my shield, and we'll be racing!"

Luigi rubbed oil stain off his shirt. "Huh, that was quick…"

"The kid's a genius!" Torque exclaimed. Tails just smiled and kept working. He connected blue wires to blue wires, red to red, and yellow to a cool shade of green. He hit a button to test it out, and blew a hole in the side of Torque's workshop.

"Now that's fire power!" Luigi chucked nervously. Tails sweat dropped.

"I can fix that later…ahem, anyway, there you go Luigi!"

Luigi just stared wide-eyed at the terrifying cannon that he'd be controlling. "…I don't think I can handle the power…"

"I can! Check this out!' Malon exclaimed. She fired her Blooper Blaster, unintentionally hitting Blooey and sending him flying across the room. The special tool flew out of his hands and hit Jerry in the head.

"…that could've gone better…" Luigi trailed.

Malon covered up her gasp with her hand. "Sorry Blooey…"

"How about no more weapons until you guys get the karts outside?" Torque suggested.

"Mine's technically not a weapon…" Tails murmured, still touching up his newly added shield. "Hey, can I get a drink too?"

'Ugh, do I look like a maid?" Malon complained.

"I look like I'm pain!" Jerry added, wishing he could rub his head.

Nevertheless, Malon also brought Tails a drink, which boosted his work progress so much, he finished installing the shield within minutes. Tails put down the wrench and wiped his forehead.

"Well that just about does it!"

"Now we just need to beat the Circuit Breaker!" Jerry exclaimed.

Luigi looked like he was going to cry. "I'm so scared…"

"It's just a guy on the track Luigi! What could possibly go wrong?" Tails asked. "He probably intimidated us yesterday to lower our confidence! Don't let him break you!"

Luigi gave a small smile and nodded while glancing up at Torque's clock. 9 minutes until the race started! He gasped and jumped into the Big Green 01.

"Come you guys! We'd better get going if we're even going to make it to the race!"

Malon and Blooey slapped a high five before jumping in the orange streaked Super Blooper. Tails laughed and got on his bike, Torque becoming a little excited and sitting behind him. Jerry looked around as if there was some other option than with riding with Luigi. There wasn't.

"Oh, I don't want to ride with Scar…" he complained, sighing and joining Luigi anyway. Luigi made a blank face for a long time before revving up the vehicle and taking off for the track. Malon and Tails exchanged looks while following after.

**Moments Later-**

Over twenty cars, not including Team Luigi and Macho Max, who were on opposite ends, were racing in today's race. Tails was on the far right, Malon next to him, and then Luigi was the last before a whole bunch of racers they've never seen started to line up. Luigi saw Macho Max give them a dirty look before taking his position on the far left.

"This is going to make me nerve shot, I can feel it…" Luigi moaned.

"What're you talk about?" scoffed Malon. "This'll be fun!"

"Oh, please don't…you sound like Peach…"

Luigi adjusted his bandana, Tails fixed his goggles, and Malon tightened her ponytail. Blooey, Jerry, and Torque prepared to hang on for their lives. Another Frog stepped out, raising a racing gun in hand, he cringed and turned away from the track.

"On your marks…"

Everyone tensed.

"…get set…"

Engines revved. Smoke nearly clouded the eyesight of the racers. Luigi was so nervous, he swore he almost forgot how to drive.

The Frog gulped, turned away even more, and pulled the trigger to the gun. A loud pop rang out, and Malon, Tails, and the Circuit Breaker blasted forward. Luigi-and the rest of the racers as a matter of fact- on the other hand…

"_YAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" _Luigi screamed at the top of his lungs as his own kart nearly knocked the wind out of him.

"Oh my god- you're going to **kill **me!" wailed Jerry. Before the rest of the racers could even get _moving_, Luigi had slammed his foot on the gas pedal, not realizing his kart was set in reverse. The Big Green 01 crashed, slammed, plowed, and collided with every other kart and bike in the race, and all Luigi could do was close his eyes, scream, and hope he didn't kill anyone.

"What the-?!" was what several racers had to say before they were ejected out of their karts by flying green metal. One guy landed in the stands, another landed on the rollercoaster, and a woman ended up on the roof of the mall. People were tossed everywhere, and a good percentage of the karts were out of commission. Eventually, Luigi took out every kart and crashed into the safety wall.

"Ooooo…"

Jerry growled and jumped out of the back. "Forget this! I'm lucky I'm alive!"

-----

Meanwhile, up ahead, Malon and Tails were miraculously up ahead the Circuit Breaker, and were surprised that no one had caught up with them.

"What do you know? We're actually in the lead!" cheered Malon.

"What happened to Luigi though?" Tails asked. Torque turned around to see how far away Luigi was…and felt fire burn in his eyes.

"MY (insert REALLY bad word) KART!!!!!!!"

The Big Green 01 was probably now the Smashed Up 00... An eruption of groans emerged from the scattered racers, and the announcer said that they were all out of the race if they couldn't get their karts to work…which none of them really did.

"Hahahahaha! That loser just made my job a heck of a lot easier!" cackled Max.

"You've still got us to beat!" Tails taunted. Max growled and sent out a missile from one of his blasters, but Tails quickly threw up his shield and reflected the projectile. He went a little faster, prompting Max to try and catch up with Torque shouting about how much he hated Luigi- definitely as much as Blooey.

"You hit him from behind!" Tails told Malon as Macho Max now only focused on Tails. Malon gave a nod, but turned back to glace at Luigi in the wreckage…and seeing him start to putter down the track.

"Luigi!" she gasped. Luigi gave a happy grin and waved back.

"I'm down, but not out...yet!"

Malon laughed, then turned to the Circuit Break trying to blow Tails up. She smirked and threw her red lever.

"Get a load of this!"

She fired her Blooper Blaster, Blooey cheering madly in the back seat. It hit one of Max's tires, sending him spinning, but it somehow patched up the hole. He gave an amused hum and glared over his shoulder to smirk at Malon.

"Any goes in this race, girl…" he chuckled deeply, approaching Tails faster. Tails gulped and quickly thought up a strategy. He remembered Torque's abilities and snapped his fingers.

"Torque! Can you equip a nail gun and shoot at him?" he asked.

"Of course! But we don't have one, do we?"

"Use my screwdriver!"

He handed it to Toque, who unequipped his wrench and replaced it with Tails' screwdriver. Tails checked his mirror, where Max was getting ready to fire some bigger ammo.

"On my mark Torque!"

"Gotcha!"

"…NOW!"

When Macho Max was in the perfect position, Torque launched the screwdriver and hit the front of Max's kart dead center. Max roared, pulled it out, then chucked it right back at them. Torque screamed and ducked, while Tails managed to catch it with one of his tails.

"I hope we damaged part of his engine!" Tails prayed.

**Meanwhile-**

I'm catching up! I'll be there soon!" Luigi called, still puttering right along with the severely damaged 01. It was a wonder it was still even running!

"He hasn't even made his first lap yet…" Jerry said in the stands while sweat dropping.

**Back with action-**

Max was obviously outraged and was firing firearms at Tails like they were unwanted trash. Tails' shield protected him from all the damage, but the force still battered him around quite a bit. They all crossed the starting line once, beginning their second lap and getting ready to bypass Luigi. Luigi just kept trying to make the kart go. Torque looked past Tails to see his beloved kart in shambles and started up another rant.

"Oooh, that buffoon is going to owe me a **TON** of coins to repair my beautiful kart!"

"I could simply fix it up again, Torque…" offered Tails.

"No way! He's paying for that vehicle one way or another!"

"Um, not to interrupt your financial troubles, but we've still got a race to win…" Malon trailed while pulling up in the Super Blooper. She grabbed Blooey from the back seat and threw him toward Macho Max. "You gain some more lead- I'll slow him down with my Oil Spewer!"

Tails gave a grin and turned up the speed. Max gritted his teeth and also kicked it up a notch.

"I'm not letting you get away! You can't escape me!"

Tails sweat dropped. "You sound like the girls from my world!"

Max let out an inhuman growl before preparing to fire daggers. Malon swerved in front of him, spilling oil from a special pipe in the back of her kart, and causing the Circuit Breaker to twist all over the track. Malon giggled and pulled up to Tails again.

"We've so got this! This guy is a joke!"

They gave a high-five while bypassing Luigi, who was sent spinning from the speed and was knocked into the next lane by the approaching Circuit Breaker.

"HEY! I'm just a guy with a ruined kart here!"

"That you're paying for!" Torque shouted back. Max took a deep breath and cracked his fingers.

"These guys are not beating me…"

He yanked out a switch, then twisted it, causing his simple kart to transform into the equivalent of a battle tank. A large cannon was perched on top, it was painted a war green, and Macho Max was cackling insanely.

"Get a load of this!"

Seven missiles emerged from the large cannon, much deadly than before. Tails was spared from the damage, but since Malon had no protect and didn't see it coming, she was hit quite badly. The Super Blooper started spinning out of control, Blooey hung onto Malon and screamed, while Malon wasn't going down without a fight. She was ignoring the fact she had no control of her vehicle and was trying to shoot at the opposing kart.

"Jerk, jerk, **JERK**!" she seethed through her teeth. Only a few of her projectiles hit the battle mobile, but they didn't even phase Max. he just smirked at her pathetic attempt and glanced at Tails.

"you're going with her buddy…"

A hatch opened in the back, allowing a metal arm holding a very huge bomb to pop out. Max literally punched a big red button and sent the explosive at Tails.

"Sweet dreams!"

"Tails!" Malon shrieked at the top of her lungs, breaking to a stop at the part where the road ended and the grassy area before the wall began. Tails looked up to see the bomb, and instantly knew his shield wouldn't hold out.

"Brace for impact Torque!" he yelled. Torque gulped and pulled into his green shell. Tails squeezed his eyes shut and hoped for the best. The bomb landed completely on Tails' shield, and the combination of the explosion and the bomb itself broke through Tails' shield and sent the fox and the beetle flying into the air, along with the bike. Malon grabbed her spinning head and rolled her eyes upward, seeing the objects getting ready to crash. Tails landed first, falling into the seat next to Malon. He tried to react quickly and pulled her out of the way, but only managed to shield her from the damage of the bike and were still sent flying into the wall.

"Losers. You wanna act dirty, you're going to get dirty!" Max cackled.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhh!!!"

They grabbed each other for support, each ducking their heads. Their bodies took a heavy blow against the wall, forcing them to fall limp on the ground. Blooey and Torque ended up in the audience next to Jerry, but still looked pained anyway. Max, being the heartless soul as he was, just laughed and lapped Luigi once more. This race was in the bag for him.

Luigi's pupils shrunk after seeing the damage done to Malon and Tails. He gritted his teeth, scowled, and pulled out his compass.

"No one's going to get away with such a cruel move-especially to my friends! FROZEN NORTH!"

Max suddenly got quiet as the air around him got super cold. He found himself unable to move, but Luigi still couldn't go very fast.

"REFRESH DIRECTION!"

The kart regained its speed, miraculously, but it was still battered and banged up- meaning he would still have to pay Torque. Luigi pulled his cap slightly downward and used the cannon Tails installed. The massive ammo hit Max dead center, shattering his ice. Luigi drove up to the jerk and gave him a dark look.

"You're not going to win this race!"

Max raised an amused eyebrow. "Oh really? There's no one in this race but you and me. Who's honestly going to win? I'm on my last lap anyway- and you haven't even completed one!"

He twisted his kart around and pulled out even more cannons on the sides of his vehicle.

"But to make sure you don't pull any fast ones, I'll just take you out before I finish! Gahahahahaha!"

* * *

**1: Malon and Tails ARE FINE, before you go all panicky. I'm not THAT cruel! *everyone recalls Boss Chapter of Chapter 5 in PMX1* Okay, okay, but seriously, they're fine.**

**2: The boss is Circuit Breaker! Cmon, you HAD to see that!**

**3: There WAS a certain idea I was going to use in this, but it required a _lot_ of changing around, so I found a better way to use it! But, you won't be seeing any evidence of this for awhile...and I'm not going to say a word about it cuz its kinda a surprise. :D**

**4: If there's any typos I missed, please tell me, because I tend to miss them a lot in this story more than any others-I have no idea why. **


	24. Circuit Breaker: Breakin' The Rules

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 23: The Circuit Breaker: Breakin' the Rules

Jerry jumped up and ran to Blooey and Torque.

"Are you guys okay?!"

They just stood up and shook off any pain. They exchanged glances before hurdling over the side shouting "Malon! Tails!"

"…I wish I had someone to follow."

The two landed next to the fallen heroes, who at the worst simply had bruises on their backs. They felt perfectly fine. Blooey jumped on Malon and begged her not to die while Torque managed to get Tails back on his feet again.

"What happened?" Tails mumbled. "I remember flying…Malon…a wall…"

"Let's just say the Circuit Breaker broke your circuits. You and Malon are out of the race…" Torque explained.

Tails hung his head and sighed. "Great…looks like were not winning today…"

"W-Where's Luigi though?" Malon asked groggily, trying to shake off the impact.

"Oh, he's taking on the Circuit Breaker in the banged up Big Green 01!" replied Blooey cheerfully. Both Malon and Tails jolted up, eyes widened.

"WHAT!?"

-----

"Oh, why must all my partners hate me…I could really use one…" Luigi quivered silently, hands shaking on the steering wheel. "I'm going into a suicide mission alone! MARIO!"

"Calling random names into the sky won't do you much good, shrimp…" Max huffed, firing more missiles his way. "I'm going to win this race backward!"

"Not unless I take you out!" threatened the heroic green plumber. Max just bellowed in laughter, giving Luigi the opportunity he needed. He whispered Frozen North once again, freezing Max and taking away one of his turns. Luigi drove past Max, then turned the cannon around and shot a massive attack at the engine. As expected, the ice shattered, and Max was free again.

"that's not going to work twice, punk! Have a taste of this!"

A barrage of explosives came Luigi's way, and Luigi's tactic of avoiding them was swerving and screaming and calling for Mario. A missile nearly hit Luigi's tire, sending the plumber completely haywire and spiraling.

"Ohnoohnoohnooooooo…"

----

Blooey, Jerry, and Torque, who were sitting on the wall, just laughed at Luigi's misery.

"Ooh, that was a bad blow!"

"Maybe he'll get scarred!"

"Or get a road burn! Or burn rubber! Or-"

"We get it Blooey."

Malon just shook her head. "I can't_ believe_ you guys! How can you hate Luigi so much? He's one of the nicest people ever!"

"I can't believe we're just standing here!" exclaimed Tails. "If Max makes it over the finish line, that'll count for a win, and there's already no way for Luigi to go around the track 3 times and still beat him!"

"And our karts are definitely out of commission too…" pondered Malon.

"Well, if you want me to be positive, then all Luigi has to do is beat the Circuit Breaker!" hooted Blooey. "Like THAT'LL ever happen!"

"He'd better be even more careful with my kart, or he'll owe me even more!" Torque shouted angrily.

"And you DO know Luigi's poor now, right?"

"I don't care!"

**Meanwhile-**

Luigi yelped while slamming his foot on the brake. This caused his kart to spiral and turn to face Max- but this time, Luigi being backward. He had one hand on the wheel and the other on his compass, trying to figure out what to do now. Max was getting awful dodgy, they were halfway to the finish line, and Torque was definitely going to murder him with a sledgehammer for beating up his kart.

"He won't see this coming…I hope…" he murmured while bringing up his compass. "Wild West!"

Max was preparing another onslaught when he looked up and saw rocks falling and dust coming up from nowhere The rocks dented up his kart quite badly, the dust blinded his view, and it certainly didn't help that tumbleweeds were getting tangled with the wheels.

"Argh!!! Just get out of the way so I can win already!!"

Luigi had to laugh at that while he targeted the cannon once again. A third hit busted the engine cover open- now all he had to do was destroy the engine once and for all.

"One more hit, and Luigi can actually win this!" Tails calculated.

"They're almost to the finish line though! He'd better hurry up!" Malon pointed out.

"Oh, I hate just standing here…Malon, can you play a Reality Song to slow time around Max or something like that?"

"No, my flute's back at the hotel since someone rushed me out of bed this morning!"

"Sor_-ry_!"

----

"One more hit! …I need a lot of luck…"

The finish line wasn't very far away, and Max was getting angrier by the second, dodging every blast from the cannon. Luigi would've froze him, but he knew that trick by now and there was no time to take chances.

Then, he remembered his bandana and Super Hammer. He had an idea. While avoiding angry rants and random bombs, Luigi tied his bandana to the Super Hammer and gave a quick sigh.

"I know all your moves now! And the finish line is right down the lane!" Max cackled. "I'll win again! Any last words, loser?"

Luigi gave a solemn nod. "Yes…it was nice knowing you, bandana,"

He chucked his hammer toward Max's kart, bonking Max in the head with the hammer, causing the bandana to untie and get caught in the engine, which slowed it down and messing it up. Luigi cringed as pieces of green fabric were shredded everywhere. Max's kart started smoking and making skid marks on the road. Max struggled to keep control, but he was having no luck. Luigi, on the other hand, just grinned.

"Perfect."

With one fatal blast from the oversized cannon, the engine was shot and exploded on contact. Pieces of Max's kart went everywhere, the audience taking cover once again. Max fell into a vat of cotton candy, Luigi's Super Hammer landed back in his hand, and the Compass Piece was his for the taking once again. It might have taken the sacrifice of a bandana, but his one (and hopefully only) extreme race was about to be won. Since Luigi was the only racer left, he automatically won, but he did the last two laps to make it official anyway. By the time the Big Green 01 made it across the finish line, it just collapsed and completely went kaput.

Luigi grinned sheepishly. "I knew Refresh Direction wouldn't be enough to fix it…"

Torque roared out in agony again. "MY POOR KART! LUIGI!"

He ran ahead, being followed by Tails and Malon who were so proud Luigi actually won, and Blooey and Jerry just decided to tag along.

"Way to go, Luigi!" Malon cried happily, falling down and wrapping her arms around Luigi in a victory hug.

"You might've taken out most the competition, but the fact you defeated Macho Max and survived this race is really impressive!" laughed Tails. Luigi stood up from the pile of what was once a kart and simply shrugged.

"Well, I couldn't let him get away with hurting you two! I had to avenge, that's all!"

"the best part is, we're actually fine!" Malon said while grinning. Torque pushed and shoved to the front (after he was beaten by Malon and Tails after all) and jumped on Luigi.

"You imbecile of an idiot! All I do is say "be careful" with my most prized car and** what **happens?! You bang it up by crashing into other racers, engage in battle, and disintegrate it by winning the race! You owe me some big coin, NOW!"

Luigi sweat dropped. "I'm OUT of money now…"

"I don't care! You're going to pay it somehow! Even if I have to follow you to the ends of this world to get what you owe!"

Luigi hung his head and groaned. "oh GREAT…another hater…"

Blooey slapped Torque on the shell. "All right! Welcome to the "We hate Luigi club!" Where all members hate Luigi!"

Tails gave a small grin. "And think about it! Maybe Torque will be a little helpful on our quest too!"

Torque turned around and gave Tails a nod. "yeah…you and Malon, you two are all right. Luigi, on the other hand…"

"Well, death threat or not, I'm glad you're joining us Torque. You can follow behind me!"

_Torque:_  
_HP: 25_  
_Moves: _  
_Screw Up (2 atk)_  
_Shell Slam (4 atk, 3 FP_

_Special Ability: Can build anything Tails sketches out/ has extraordinary defense- with the combo of being a Buzzy Beetle and being a special type of "spiked" Buzzy Beetle._

"It's weird…do you feel some connection between us?" he asked Tails. Tails nodded.

"Yeah! I was wondering if you were feeling the same thing!"

Malon clapped her hands and squealed. "oh, that's great Tails! You know what that means? You've found a Soul Partner! Mine's Blooey, yours is apparently Torque…and all of Team Mario has one!"

Tails frowned. "Sonic never told me about Soul Partners…"

Luigi entered the conversation. "That's because Mario told me he never found his Soul Partner on their first adventure together! Apparently he was really sore about the subject and had to travel with a cool blue-shelled turtle and a slightly cranky old Cheep Cheep."

Tails folded his arms. "See? I would never know that! But that does remind me of something…"

"What?"

"Oh, um…nothing really important. I'll tell you guys on the boat, okay?"

Luigi and Malon exchanged glances, but responded to Tails via a nod.

"Cool! Now let's go get that Marvelous Compass Piece!"

**Minutes Later-**

The ceremony for the crowning of the mayor of the island took place shortly after, with Luigi standing on a giant "1st place" stand and received a large golden trophy. But all Luigi wanted was the shining bit of compass sitting on top. As the guy who gave the trophy away everyday started his speech, Luigi tried to wrestle the piece off the trophy.

"…and so, we hereby degree Luigi Mario/Seagle/Whatever the trophy of Circuit Break Island, officially making him ruler of the island today…which, for the first time in a long time, isn't Macho Max! With this, we hope Luigi will make a great leader and take care of our island and its property-"

"YAH!"

With a snap, the next Marvelous Compass Piece snapped off and Luigi held it up. While Malon and Tails lightly cheered, the rest of the crowd gasped in horror.

"Oh my goodness! He vandalized the trophy!" "Such insolence!" "What a criminal!"

"I am sorry Luigi, but if you don't abide the rules of being ruler, you can't be ruler…" the Frog explained, taking the trophy back from Luigi. Luigi shrugged.

"That's okay with me!"

"Which mean we're going to give this trophy to…that crazy old man that works in the mall!"

"What, wait-"

"I knew you young-in's would come to yer senses!" that old man cackled, running up with a cane and snagging the trophy. "First thing I'mma gonna do is make these races a heck of a lot safer! I'm tired of people dying in this place! And I'll make waffles the official food- do you like waffles?"

Luigi made a face and stepped down. "Let's get out of here guys…"

He walked away, Tails glancing over his shoulder and remarking, "That man is nuts…"

**At the entrance-**

Luigi placed Circuit Break Island's piece into the Marvelous Compass' base, seeing where they would go next. Tails and Malon peered over his shoulders as the directional instrument lit up once again. A bright, vibrant town with a purple sky appeared on the compass, complete with flashing lights and the atmosphere of a medium-sized city. As Luigi expected, the shockwave went up his arm, giving him the knowledge of where the place was and learned the move, "Eastern Wind".

"Jazzafrazz Town…" Luigi informed the rest of his team. "That's where we're headed next."

"It looks so cool! I can't wait to see what that'll be like!" Malon exclaimed.

"Fascinating, definitely…" agreed Tails.

"Don't think about paying a cent there either!" Torque growled. Luigi groaned and smacked his head.

"Please…just ONE partner that won't hate me…"


	25. Deeper Secrets

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 24: Deeper Secrets

_"Yes, excellent…their second hero has joined, and another piece has been obtained. Simply brilliant. Now is the time to advance things a little…"_

"So tell me Éclair…" Huckleberry began, trying to stir up some light conversation before sending Éclair on another mission. She was sitting on the bed looking frightfully bored and sighing almost non-stop. "…what would happen after you and the Chestnut King got married?"

Éclair let out an unlady like snort at that. "Oh, ha. I haven't forgotten that you can see the future, Huckleberry…"

Huckleberry shrugged. "It's an indefinite future, though. I can only see solid things like…a big battle between a hero and a villain, certain people showing up, and…well, the truth is, I don't for sure know if Luigi will save you. That's why I can't tell if you'll ever get married. It's like a variable in an algebraic expression."

Éclair covered her face with a pillow. "Ugh, I was never good with math…"

Huckleberry flew over her head and tapped her shoulder. "Hey, it was just a simple question! Why are you in such a snappy mood today?"

"I'm so bored here…"

"Look on the bright side- you could be locked in an even more boring room in a base in an unknown location!"

"What gave you THAT idea?"

"Oh, no reason. So, to kill some boredom, we can go explore more of the tower…"

Éclair sat up instantly. "Oh yes! Let's go!"

Huckleberry shook his head. "I wanna hear about you and your fiancé. It's no fun if I'm spending time with a princess I know nothing about!"

Éclair sighed and folded her arms over her pastel yellow dress. "Oh, okay…fine…once we were married, our two kingdoms would unite in a time of peace. We were even thinking about taking a honey moon to his world! I would finally become a queen and have a large ceremony, almost bigger than my wedding itself, and then I would be free to fully rule my kingdom without my parents' overseeing." She stood up and started walking to where the secret exit was. "A paradise, right? Well, now those hopes are practically dashed now that you claim you don't have any idea how this'll turn out, and you can't tell me if things'll ever be right again…"

Huckleberry got very quiet. His mauve eyes gave a quick gleam before he began to speak again. "Princess Éclair. Earlier when I said I know how this'll turn out, I wasn't lying. I know how it'll turn out now, at this moment. Right now Luigi won't be strong enough to save you. But, as time goes on, fate happens, and fate effects the future. And that can change the outcome completely…"

He floated over and placed his spirit hand on Éclair's shoulder.

"…which means you still have a chance. Hope is still with you. And, if I can stand breaking the rules, I'll tell you Luigi will need the help of others to get here."

Éclair, much quieter than before, raised an eyebrow. "Who are these others?"

"The ones he has currently are a girl who can bend reality at will with music and a young fox who has the ability to fly and gifted with great intelligence. He'll need two more helpers, one of slight darkness and one that is literally unknown, to ever get here. If all four are there for Luigi, he'll be unstoppable…there. Now you know all you need to know. Happy? Because that's all I know so far."

He floated up to the ceiling, hit the switch, and opened the secret passage. Éclair took in all the info, but was still curious as to what Huckleberry wanted her to do.

"Where are we going today?"

"Remember the box we got last time?" Huckleberry asked. Éclair nodded. "We're going to find the key it goes to."

"And I'm guessing you definitely know what that is, right?"

Huckleberry flashed his bright toothy grin. "Of course! Something that close to now has been like a bee buzzing in my ear! This involves going to the 11th floor, and then taking a shortcut to the 9th. Are you up for it?"

Éclair's compass piece started to shine as she gave a confident nod. She took her first steps down the passage, exiting the 14th floor and passing the room on the 13th. She could've sworn it was getting warmer as she went down- had she gotten used to a cold environment during her stay? Or was she simply nervous? The duo started to head by the 12th floor, and Éclair shivered, recalling the big, burly, brown monster that had been there before.

"What the 11th floor like?" she asked. Huckleberry pondered the question for a brief second, the silence allowing the only sound to be the pitter patter of Éclair's heels on the winding stairs.

"Well…it's a weaponry, if you must know. You'll need to be extra careful when traveling through there. Swords, axes, knives, spike clubs, scissors…anything sharp, and it'll be in there-and trying to kill you."

Éclair shivered. "Brr…that fuzzy bear thing must have some addictive collection of sharp things, huh?"

Huckleberry had to cover his mouth and breathe heavily to prevent himself from laughing at "fuzzy bear thing".

"Oh, Éclair…sometimes you truly amuse me…" he chuckled lightly. The entrance to the 11th floor was right next to them, and Huckleberry opened the way into the dark and dank chamber. "here we are! Watch your step, Princess…"

"Can't we just walk all the way to the ninth?" Éclair asked warily. Huckleberry shook his head.

"this secret passage ends here, but there's another passage though the 11th that goes straight to ninth. You can reach the 10th floor from 9, but not from 11."

Éclair grabbed and shook her head. "Oh, this is too confusing! If we have to go through a death trap of a room, then let it be."

She sighed, picked up her dress, and cautiously entered the room. The light glow from Huckleberry lit up some of the way, but it still wasn't very much. The walls were pure concrete, unlike the dining room from previously with a decently nice setting. The room was cold, the air was moist, and every weapon under the sun and their brother lines the walls, and Éclair wondered whether someone should be able to keep all the artillery.

"That's definitely unsettling," she muttered, a slight chatter evident in her voice. Éclair took a step forward and accidentally activated a trip-wire.

"Oh great- you've activated a trap!" cried Huckleberry. Éclair was sent into a fit.

"Oh yeah- my fault? It's dark, and I hit a near invisible wire! Not to mention _you_ probably could've seen that coming-"

"I'll tell you what I don't see: you running! Hurry before you get stabbed or spiked to death!"

Éclair threw up her hands and started to scream. "Oh my goodness-why must this happen to me?! I was never trained for situations like this!"

She ducked under spears, jumped over spiked logs rolling for her, and just about limboed under a swinging hammer that came down from the ceiling. Éclair desperately wanted to fix her waffle cone based crown that was threatening to fall off, but one wrong move and a sword would slice her in two. Her pupils shrunk as the walls suddenly jetted out sharp needles and began to close in on her. She glanced to the other side of the room and she wasn't really sure if she could make it.

Éclair started running anyway, breathing heavily as she cried out, "Huckleberry! Can't you do anything?!"

Huckleberry cringed, then took a deep sigh. "Just keep running Éclair! I've got this!"

"No need to tell me twice!"

The sweet princess was a pastel yellow and chocolate brown blur as Huckleberry floated into the center of the room. For a brief moment, he crouched into a small ball before spreading his arms wide apart, two transparent beams shooting out. Éclair heard the sudden "ZING!" and was forced to turned around. Huckleberry's temporary powers were preventing the spike walls from coming any closer.

"Hurry up Éclair!" Huckleberry grunted. "I can't do this forever!"

"What about you?" Éclair asked back as she slowly started to the other part of the room.

"Don't worry about it! Go!"

Éclair had three stands of hair cut off by a ninja star, and she instantly ran off without thinking about Huckleberry- at least, she tried not to think.

_"Man, I haven't used this power in years…"_

The power started to flicker as it weakened, and the walls suddenly slammed together.

---

Éclair gave a battle cry as she barrel rolled to safety. The thunderous sound coming behind her caught her off guard, and slightly timbered to the floor. After catching her breath, she finally remembered Huckleberry, and how he didn't make it out. Éclair gasped at the realization and cover her mouth.

"Oh my goodness…poor Huckleberry! He…he saved me…"

Her eyes started to water, and she hung her head to give Huckleberry a moment of peace. While she was mourning, the Luff spirit gave a light laugh as he cart wheeled right through the walls.

"You forgot I was_ already_ a spirit, didn't you?" he teased, a smirk very evident. Éclair's head shot up, along with a small hiccup.

"_Huckleberry!_ You just about made my heart stop!" she said angrily. "And to think! I even gave you a moment of silence! Ugh…I thought you…you'd…"

Huckleberry folded his arms in midair and rolled his eyes. "You're welcome, Princess. Now come on! The faster we get the object, the faster we can get back to your safe cell!"

Éclair gave a minute nod as she quietly followed.

"I did forget Huckleberry was a spirit…"

As they got farther from the dreaded trap area, the walls began to separate again, and all the weapons were put back in place automatically. A new passage began, and as Éclair used the wall to guide her down, she wondered what rested on the 10th floor…oh well- who knew? She might find out next time!

**Ninth Floor-**

Huckleberry stuck his head around to corner to see if it was clear- which he made Éclair mad by stating how he already knew that- and floated in.

"In here! It's in here!"

"Okay, okay…" Éclair delicately entered the room, only to have her jaw drop.

The room was even more gorgeous than her own castle. She didn't know where to begin! The sight almost made up for the fact she had almost been killed moments earlier! First off, it was gold. Gold walls, gold ceiling, gold-and-crystal chandelier, gold table, gold chair…and gold cabinet of some sort. It all seemed to shimmer with magic…and Éclair couldn't help but wonder why a hateful beast would have such a beautiful room.

"Wow…it's…so…unexpected, that's for sure!" she gasped, feeling a wall. "How can the key be in a place like this? I'd think it'd be in high security or something!"

Huckleberry let out a laugh. "You'd be surprised, Éclair…now, can you do me another favor?"

"I don't know…" Éclair responded while folding her arms. "Your favors usually cause stress for me, like…five minutes ago, for example?"

"No, this one _benefits_ you!" he floated toward her and tapped the compass piece in her crown. "You never knew you could tap into your crown jewel's power, did you?"

Éclair shook her head. Huckleberry grinned and began to explain.

"This piece happens to contain the Compass Move Future Sight- a move that can predict what someone else can do within seconds! But, since its not united with the other 6 pieces, its power is much, much weaker than it could possibly be. Still, if you focus again Éclair, you can at least use the power to see where the key is!"

Éclair's eyes lit up. "You mean my compass piece has a power that's exactly like yours!? And you chose now to tell me?"

"You can't rush these things, Éclair."

"Well…fine. I'm just glad to see what its like to be you for a change."

"Do what you did when you tried to communicate with Luigi, but think about that key!"

Éclair took another deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused deeply on the key. All energy channeled into the compass piece, and it began to spark. Éclair let out a yelp and took an unintentional three steps back. Huckleberry grinned again.

"you found the key, right?"

Éclair nodded, but she had a worried look.

"N-Not only that…but I saw a blue robed man…then a man in green and a cluster of his friends, probably The Others you were talking about…they were…they were _here_…"

Huckleberry cocked his head. "Whoa…_I_ don't even know anything related to that! But, now that you mention it…it seems likely to happen now!"

"Extraordinary…"

"We'll ponder this later- go get the key so we can head back to your room before we're caught!"

Éclair nodded and walked to the suspicious looking cabinet. She opened it, where it looked like any other cabinet, but it had a secret. She tapped each side of the cabinet twice, then the bottom and the top 4 times. Like magic, a key materialized from thin air, and Éclair grabbed it.

"Excellent. Now we can go open that box!"

Éclair gave a sigh. "I feel like we just got here…"

"We'll be back Éclair. But my Future Sight tells me the…"Fuzzy Bear Thing" will be coming soon!"

Éclair made a face, but traveled carefully back to the room- taking extra caution in the weaponry.

She had many questions: what was in the box, what was the purpose of the golden room, and there was some secret about Huckleberry, she now knew…

But she also wondered why that statue in the passage hall looked so much like that blue robed figure…

**14th Floor-**

Huckleberry was all too eager to go and crack that box open. Éclair had barely stepped foot into the room when Huckleberry zoomed by her head, grabbed the small wooden box, and anxiously held it out to Éclair.

"take it easy, there! What's so special about this anyway?" Éclair chuckled, at last sticking the key in and literally unlocking the secret within the box. It gave click, the lid popped open, and a soft melody started to drift out. Éclair stopped smiling, though she was far from being unhappy. "Oh my goodness…it's…it's…my…"

"It's the song the Chestnut King wrote for you, isn't it?" Huckleberry said, a hint of knowing in his smirk. Éclair could only nod as she set the key on the bed and took the box from Huckleberry.

"Oh Huckleberry…how did it get here? What's it doing with that thing? And…I don't understand. Why is all this happening?!"

She officially broke down in tears, the first time since she got there, and all Huckleberry could do was float beside her and pat her back.

"In time, Princess…it will all come together. I promise. That's definitely one thing you can count on."

Huckleberry had felt he had failed his original job, but there were things she just needed to know! Time wasn't on his side though…but at least the song of her beloved play softly in her ear.

* * *

**...And enter the mystery of a music box! :D Oh, how I love Eclair chapters...there's so much potential! But, I don't like Jazzafrazz Town. Ugh, I'm STUCK there! I mean, I CAN write it, but it just doesn't feel as fun as any of the other places, I suppose. Don't worry- it's a good dose done, the problem is just trying to finish! We might have a "skip week" (where I don't post as chapter) sometime soon because of it, but it's not THAT likely.**

**And I _really_ wanna get to Raptorous Ruins! That's my favorite part in the story- though I haven't written it because of Jazza! *starts working on story afterwards* Happy Sunday!**


	26. Tails' Questions, Find Jazza, and Juice

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 25: Tails' Questions, Finding Jazza, and Juice

Luigi, Malon, Tails, Blooey, Jerry, and Torque-who was the equivalent of a chain to Luigi- waited outside the exit of Circuit Break Island. They wasted no time in getting back to Bosco's Ship, considering the entire island was after Luigi for "violating" the trophy. It'd probably be awhile before they went back there anyway…

----

"Okay! We're calling the first official meeting of the "We Hate Luigi!" club. First order of business- the official oath! Jerry, care to start?"

"Certainly Blooey. Ahem-I truly, and forever will, hate Luigi."

"Good. I second that. Second order of business: we have a new member! Come on down, Torque!"

Torque stared at Blooey standing on the table as Malon shook her head, Tails watched in curiosity, and Luigi attempted to hide his face behind a pillow. The Buzzy Beetle finally sighed and stepped up onto the table with him.

"Yea, Blooey?"

"No, while we're in this club, you must refer to me as Super Mr. Professor Captain Blooey Sir the First! In one breath!"

Torque sweat dropped. "…oh jeez…Yes Super Mr. _Professor Captain Blooey Sir **the First**_**?! **Hee…hoo…"

Blooey gave a nod in thanks. "now, before you can join the "We Hate Luigi!" club, you must state why you hate Luigi, and what you will do to get revenge."

"Say what?!"

Blooey gave a sharp glare at Luigi, and the green plumber shushed up. Jerry eagerly jumped up and down in his seat.

"Ooo! May I be granted permission to give an example?"

"Permission granted."

"Okay, okay! I hate Luigi because he scarred me for life by wearing a wedding dress, and what I will do to get revenge is simply make sure he never, EVER wears a dress EVER again."

Blooey clapped his…tentacles. "Excellent. I hate Luigi because he threw me in piping hot lava, turning me to this…_CRISP calamari_, and what I will do to get revenge is either continue to make his life miserable or simply dunk HIM in lava and fry that stupid mustache of his!"

Luigi slammed down his fist. "Objection! I don't like the proposition previously stated!"

"Rejected! You're not even in the club, so anything you say will remain silent and you have the right to be held against you!"

"…that doesn't make any sense!!!!"

"Denied. Now, Torque, continue with the initiation please."

"Thank you. I hate Luigi because he completely _trashed_ my number 1 kart- more literal than intended- and I will get revenge by making him pay every last living cent for every inch of it!!!"

"I could just fix it, Torque-"

"I want cash though, Tails!"

Blooey called order in the ship, and made Torque and honorary member of "We Hate Luigi" and now ordered grilled cheese for all of them. Malon sighed and went off to go make them.

"You guys want any?" she asked Luigi and Tails. Both shrugged to say they didn't care.

"I'm too busy thinking anyway…" muttered Tails. Luigi cocked his head.

"Why's that?"

Tails just shrugged.

"I was just thinkin' 'bout the last time I saw Sonic…how he promised to take me other world adventuring with him when I could teleport. And now I can, so…do you think he'd let me, Luigi?"

Luigi went silent and Malon instantly rushed out of the kitchen area, a loaf of bread in one hand and cheese in the other.

"_What _did he just say?!"

Tails blinked. "What's the matter? It's been my dream to travel with Sonic to other worlds and places! Remember?"

Malon scratched the back of her head after setting the bread and chese down. "Well…of course Tails, but Sonic is a part of Team Mario now, just like how Team Z.A.P. and Team Bowser are groups."

"…and since you joined us first-this _isn't_ official though- you're a part of Team Luigi!" Luigi explained nervously. Tails thought long and hard. Sonic would want him to join him, right? Teams wouldn't get in the way of that…but what about what Malon and Luigi had said? They wanted him to be part of their team! They didn't say it directly, but Tails could tell by the tone of their voices they'd be upset.

"It's odd, actually…" Malon began again, though on a totally different subject. "We're the sidekick team- the opposite of Link's hero team. Then Zelda's team are the damsels in distress, which is the opposite of Ganondorf and all those bad guys!"

"It does keep everything balanced, huh?" Bosco asked from the front. Malon nodded.

"My dream is that one day, we'll all join together as one large team…"

"Maybe one day…"

"Yeah, when that day comes, I'll still hate Luigi!"

"Sigh…"

Suddenly, the Marvelous Compass lit up in Luigi's pocket, and he wasted no time in pulling it out. He heard Éclair's voice again, though much stronger than before.

_"Oh…why is this happening? I want to be saved by Luigi now, and have my life return to normal!"_

Tails whistled. "That's a really pretty voice! Who's that?"

"Princess Éclair…" Luigi replied softly. "She's the one we're trying to save. We can occasionally hear her voice because her crown has the last Compass Piece on it!"

Tails just gave a nod. "Just incredible."

**Rogueport-**

"Okay, we only have one Shine Sprite, so we can't even level up Torque…" Malon stated once they arrived in the run-down town.

"I say we go get something to drink- I'm really craving juice!" Tails suggested, though a bit randomly.

"Yeah! I'm famished too!" stated Blooey loudly. "That grilled cheese was good, but it wasn't thirst quenching!"

"There's a shop right there-we can grab a drink then head to Jazzafrazz Town!" Jerry added.

"Fine, but you'll need to pay in Rupees if you want anything…" mumbled Luigi. Malon pulled out a green one and grinned evilly.

"No problem, Luigi!"

Luigi grinned back and opened the doors; Blooey, Jerry, and Malon instantly taking up the bar stools. Tails hung slightly around the counter and Luigi ended up standing next to the stairs. Tails instantly ordered some high-in-flavor juice, Malon a smoothie, Blooey and Jerry some Chuckola Cola, and Torque said he didn't want Luigi out of his sight so he stood behind the uncomfortable green plumber.

"Oh MAN! This juice is absolutely _incredible_!" Tails gasped, chugging down the first cup and eagerly paying for another. Malon shook her head and sipped her smoothie.

"How will we end up in Jazzafrazz Town? Can we just sail there, or do we need help from the people of the Waffle Kingdom?" Jerry asked, being the only partner concerned about where they would end up.

Luigi looked thoughtful before replying. "I say we ask around Frogfield, and I bet we'll get somewhere!

As they discussed their next plan of action, Team Mario entered the bar, now with Kirby and a purple shadow with a red hat. Tails was slightly hidden behind Malon, not noticing them because he was really wrapped up in that drink. Luigi looked up, saw Mario, and eagerly waved at him.

"Hey bro! I'm back from Circuit Break!" he said cheerfully. Link cracked his knuckles.

"We have some unfinished business here Luigi…" Link seethed.

"Leave him alone Link, I'm still alive…" Malon groaned, stepping in front of Luigi defensively.

"Yeah I'm fine too!" Tails called absently, mind slightly taken over by the beverage.

"…Tails?!"

Tails' mind snapped back to reality and he nearly spilt his drink. "_Sonic?_ Sonic!"

Tails let out a laugh , jumped away from his juice, and gave Sonic a hug. Sonic was still smacked surprised.

"Wha…how are you here?!"

"I learned how to teleport after you left!" Tails explained eagerly. "I accidentally ran into Luigi and Malon, and they decided to help me do my job on Circuit Break Island!"

"It's a long, but interesting story…" Torque trailed, sliding a death glare to Luigi.

"Wanna hear bro.?" Luigi asked. Mario shrugged. "Okay then! Like we said, it's a long story but here it goes…"

**Sometime later-**

"-and it was all because of Luigi, but he couldn't have done it without my awesome upgrading technology!" Tails finished proudly.

"That's great Tails! Really, it is!" Sonic stated. "…remember what I told you?"

Tails placed a hand under his chin while thinking it over. He recalled their previous meeting again, and his eyes lit up. Malon and Luigi exchanged glances. "Of course! Why?"

"Do you want to come adventuring with me, like I promised?"

Link appeared next to Sonic's side and leaned on his head. "Yeah Tails! You could be a great asset to our team!"

"Do I look like an arm rest to you?"

Tails just stared forward while Malon gasped and Luigi messed with his hat. Blooey and Jerry exchanged looks while Torque glanced up at Tails.

"Y-You can go if you want…" Malon trailed. "I understand how you felt…"

"It's your choice Tails…" Luigi offered quietly. Tails gave a firm nod and turned back to Sonic. This decision might not be harder than he thought…

"Sonic…as much as I'd love to travel with you…I can't. Luigi and Malon are my friends now, and I've decided I'll continue to travel with them! We're all just a bunch of sidekicks, but with this adventure, we're going to prove we're better than that!"

"Oh _Tails_!" Malon cried, rushing forward and crushing her friend in a hug. Tails sighed with a smile, though said nothing. He looked up to Sonic to hear what he had to say. To his surprise, Sonic actually was grinning (though in retrospect, that wasn't surprising at all).

"I'm proud of you, little buddy. You don't need me to have an adventure, that's for sure! Besides, I trust you with Luigi-as long as Malon has your back…"

"Don't worry- she's got all of me…" he struggled to say, since Malon was crushing his lungs. Malon let go and glared at Link.

"At least _someone_ trusts someone in this group!" she stated sharply. Link held up his hands.

"Whoa, what did_ I _do?!"

"**You** were threatening to take me home while Sonic just says "Cool you go for it!" What's up with that?!"

"I want you to have your own adventure, I really do but-"

"You don't trust _Luigi _though! He may be klutz, he may be an idiot, he may be a loser, he may be the most uncoordinated, unsophisticated-"

"I think we get the point…"

"Sorry…anyway, no matter how degraded you think Luigi is, I trust him, and if you trust me, then you'll accept my decision to travel with Luigi as my leader!"

Malon stood boldly next to Luigi, and Luigi just gave a sheepish grin.

"…I trust Luigi…" Tails trailed.

"We don't!" Blooey, Jerry, and Torque chimed. "…but that's just because we're out to get him."

"Yeah, overall, he's a pretty good guy…" Jerry admitted. "He's just a guy who scars people for life!

"He'd be fine if he didn't owe me money!" snapped Torque.

"I'll always hate Luigi-I'll never be called the White Torpedo again!" Blooey wailed.

"Urgh, get over it!" all of Team Luigi shouted.

"Well then!"

"I'd like to hear about your the rest of your adventures, but we have to get to the roof, like now so…" Kirby stuttered.

"Oh don't worry- I'll definitely be hearing next time!" Link swore, glaring while climbing up the stairs. "About wherever you're going next!"

"Jazzafrazz Town!" Tails called up.

"Whatever!"

"Uh…see you guys later?!"

"Bye?"

Mario's gang rushed up the stairs, leaving Luigi's gang to raise eye brows at each other.

"Sometimes they are so weird…" Blooey sighed. "Especially the one that killed my uncle!"

"So we'll head back to Frogfield, right?" Luigi asked, wanting confirmation.

"That is correct!"

Tails held out at least 35 rings to Podley and asked, "Hey, can I have a carton that juice? Maybe 2...3...10?"

Podley just cleaned out Tails' glass. "Sorry kid. I just sold you the last cup. We won't get anymore shipments for a few days."

"Aw man…"

Torque led a disappointed Tails out while Malon gathered up Blooey and Jerry. Luigi, on the other hand, cheerfully led the gang back to the Harbor. Next stop was Frogfield!

**Frogfield, Sometime Later-**

"All right! Here we are! Ah, the sweet scent of waffle cone and syrup in the morning!"

"Who are we supposed to talk to though?"

Torque turned and pointed. "We could ask the cone head in the orange vest and that girl in a green dress he has with him!"

As if on cue, Frog and Frogette ran up. One was super happy, and the other was grumpy as usual.

"Hi Team Luigi! Have you come here seeking more help on where to go next?" Frogette giggled. "I was just spending some time with Frog here, but I've got plenty of time to help you guys!"

"We were getting to the good part too!" snapped Frog.

Luigi gave a light smile. "I'll be nice enough not to ask what _that_ meant…but seriously, we were wondering how to get to Jazzafrazz Town."

Frogette put on a wide grin. "Oh that's so easy! All ya gotta do is sail east! Nothing to it!"

"That was it?! We came here just for _that_?!" Blooey complained.

"At least we know which direction to go!"

"Yeah- maybe the place will be as easy as the directions were!" hoped Luigi.

"Maybe, but I'd hate for us coming here just to go to waste…" Tails trailed. "I mean, coming all the way here just to get a simple answer? What a waste of a trip!"

"Well…what should we do here?"

**A few minutes later…**

Tails return from a Frog's shop with a ton of juice.

"I have a weakness for juice today."

Everyone sweat dropped.

**Moments Later-**

"Sail east, my dear Bosco!" Luigi announced, holding the compass high to indicate which way was east. Tails had packed up his juice, Malon bought plenty of supplies, and Blooey paid to start up some "We Hate Luigi!" merchandise. Now he was sporting a green shirt with an X on Luigi's face, Jerry was wearing a similar cap, and Torque had a "We Hate Luigi!" keychain on his wrench. Luigi smacked his head.

"Ooo! Check it out!" Malon squealed, holding up her travel book to Luigi and Tails. "It says Jazzafrazz Town is a huge city where it's almost always nighttime, and its main inhabitants are Crazee Dayzees! A while nightlife city full of flowers…ah, awesome!"

"Would that be a city that always sleeps?" Luigi laughed, attempting a joke. "Since it's always night and…Dayzees have…lullabies?"

"Nice try Luigi."

**Meanwhile-**

Black Fuzzy watched from the harbor of Frogfield, seeing the S.S. Loss sailing away. He, Red, Pink, Green, Gold, Blue, Silver, White, and a light green Fuzzy to be known as Hyper were joining him.

"Are we going to follow him, Boss?" asked Pink.

Black nodded. "Of course, Meeeork! Why wouldn't we? They're headed to Jazzafrazz Town-

"MEEEORK!!! YEAH! I'm ready to FINALLY BEAT someone! MEEEORK!" cackled Hyper, already bouncing toward the edge and almost into the water. Red Fuzzy grabbed him and pulled him back.

"This was why we didn't have you fight before, Meeeork…" he sighed. "…but I get dibs on the Calamari!"

Black coughed loudly, and everyone was silenced. "As I was _saying_, Jazzafrazz is recently holding a Drama Slam this weekend and there'll be actors from all over coming to get a role!"

"Yeah…" started Gold.

"We go there in disguise…"

"Yeah, Yeah…"

"And get our own part in the play, Meeeork!"

"…you totally lost me."

"You're such an idiot, Gold!"

"How does getting a part in the play benefit us, Meeork?" questioned Blue.

"Because, Meork…if they're going for a Compass Piece, whatever the heck that is, it's the prize for winning the Drama Slam! They'll be there all week, preparing the play, and we'll be there to sabotage their hopes and dreams! Laugh evilly with me everyone! Meeeeee-ork ork ork ork!"

"Meeeee-ork ork ork ork!"

"WAHAHAHAHA! OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! GRAHAHAHAHAHA!" chortled Hyper, going free-style with his laughter. Black would've smacked his head.

"Okay, you need some work, Meeeeeeeeork…."

* * *

**And starts Jazzafrazz Town! Yay! This part might feel a little like Chapter 5 in PMX2, but that's cool since that's where _they're_ going in _that_ story! And if a chapter surrounded by endless possibilities of humor and drama wasn't enough, another character arrives! YES! Not hard to figure out WHO though, but the last character...ah, that'll sure stir something up. **


	27. You're Allowed to Act Up

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 26: You're Allowed to Act Up

Malon nearly fainted when Bosco pulled into Jazzafrazz Town's port.

"Ohmigosh! I've never seen such a huge city before…I'm so used to my little old farm! Here…buildings! Bright lights! Sounds that don't belong to animals!"

Bosco had to chuckle at her reaction. "Well, what are you waiting for, my dear Lass? Go out and have some fun!"

Malon cheered and nearly flew out the door, Luigi wailing behind her, "Don't forget the Compass Piece!"

Blooey was next, shouting, "Don't tell Malon what to do!"

Jerry and Torque followed Blooey, and Tails was the last one off.

"Oh Captain Tails…be sure to tell your friends that I'll be here waiting for your return!"

Tails smiled. "Okay! But…you always say that! Why would anything change?"

Bosco smirked. "There's safety in assurance, young one."

-----

Hayzee was running frantically around, looking for that perfect actor. There we no more props- no more talent- and there _had_ to be the perfect person to play such an important part!

Good thing he saw a spec of green in the crowd.

**Deeper in the Town-**

"Something just occurred to me…" Luigi said during their escapade through the rainbow of Dayzee loitering through the main street. "How are we going to find a Compass Piece in a town like this?"

Jerry gave a nod. "That definitely proposes a problem."

"There must be someone who can help us!" Malon exclaimed. "…and I'm not saying that just so some random Crazee Dayzee shows up and tells us what to do."

"Hey! You in green there!" a random Crazee Dayzee called, wanting to tell them what to do. Tails blinked and held out his hand.

"There must be a bag of mint candywanting to fall out of the sky and into my hands!…I'm waiting!"

Luigi turned his attention to the green flower, now huffing and puffing.

"Hi! Uh, can we help you?" Luigi asked, a little confused.

"My name is Hayzee! And, you…sir…are perfect for a role in my play!" the flower gasped.

Luigi scratched the back of his head. "Well, that's really dandy and a bit unexpected, but I don't have time to be in a play! We're hunting down a Compass Piece and-"

"Wait, let me finish! Your claim makes this even better!"

"How's THAT possible? We're on a quest, and now you're saying entering in a play is going to assist us!"

Hayzee held up a hand. "Please, _let me finish!_ You see, Jazzafrazz Town is holding a Drama Slam, which is a competition of plays! My play, The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness, must simply come in first! And if it does, we'll receive the Dramalama Plaque- which has a Marvelous Compass Piece included in the prize!"

Luigi instantly sprung forward. "Marvelous Compass Piece!? Where's the script?"

Tails grabbed his shoulder before he ran off. "Don't you think this is way too convenient?"

"Well, isn't that a good thing? C'mon on Tails, we might even have a little fun!" Luigi then struck a pose. "I might even get a marvelous part! Maybe the main role even!"

Hayzee started cracking up. "Hahahaha! The main role's already been filled by such a dramatic actor…_sigh_…but you could go for the main supporting male!"

Luigi shrugged. "All right. Everyone in?"

"I guess…" "YES!" "My time to shine!"

Malon excitedly clasped her hands together. "Ooo, I hope there's a good female part for me!"

**Later at the Stage-**

The interior was like a standard stage, with curtains and lights and all the works. When they arrived, Hayzee introduced them to everyone else who was hoping to get a part.

"Ah, hello future actors!" Hayzee exclaimed to the lounging bunch. There were three other Dayzees, each red, blue, and yellow (but not gold), a Bumpity, a Spunia that was tan and had sesame seed-like spots, a green boo, and a Ninji with a green and black outfit. Hayzee smiled and turned to Team Luigi. "Guys, these kind people are Mayzee, Tayzee, Layzee, Conroy, Bunia, Lady Bow, and Jackson…hey! Where's the main star?!"

A shadow suddenly swept across the top of the stage, making Luigi suddenly flinch with fear. As the "shadow" descended, however, it was revealed to be none other than Meta Knight, after spreading out his cape so his mask could be seen.

Malon covered her mouth to hide her gasp. "Meta Knight?! You're…you're…here?!"

"Why?" added Tails. "You said at the party that you'd never ever try to teleport ever again!"

Meta Knight stayed silent and watched the two curiously. Luigi snapped out of shock and raised an eyebrow.

"Meta Knight?! Wait a minute- how does my team already know each other while I don't have a clue who they are?"

"Who said I was joining you?" Meta Knight asked darkly, taken back a bit by the sudden rush of attention. "I'm simply here by coincidence!"

"Meta Knight, our main star, flew in here by accident looking for someone named Kirby. Bow there heard this and asked why, and Meta Knight said that Kirby left without telling anyone," explained Hayzee.

Bow waved her fan in front of her face. "Yes…I was very interested to hear that Kirby wasn't in his home world…"

Meta Knight raised a hand. "I can finish this myself. Apparently my entrance was so 'dramatic' and 'full of character'; Hayzee figured I should be the star of the show."

"…and you said YES?" questioned Blooey. Meta Knight shrugged.

"I said why not. I never do anything much anymore."

Hayzee happily clapped his hands. "This is fantastic! Now we have enough cast members to do this!"

If things were already moving fast enough, something else occurred.

"WAIT! Are you sure you don't have room for one more?!" a high-pitched voice cried. Everyone turned to the doors to see a rather tall Pokey made of nine parts struggle to get through the door.

"Well, um, I guess…what's your name?" Hayzee questioned, ready to sign the person up. The Pokey sweat dropped from all nine parts.

"Ooo, um…c-can you give us -er, ME a moment?"

The cast of the play just looked on as the Pokey turned away, appearing to be speaking to himself. Within moment, he turned around and answered coolly, "Prickle."

Hayzee just gave a nod. "Um, okay, Prickle…go sit with the rest of the crew so I can start explaining things-"

"A Pokey can't sit, meeo- I mean, uh, I'll just stand if that's okay…"

_"Wow, that guy is really frazzled…"_ whispered Conroy to Jackson. Jackson nodded in pure agreement. Luigi's group sat next to Meta Knight and waited for what Hayzee had to say.

"All right! I'm so glad to have you all here! This will be, by far, the greatest play ever! There's so much potential talent in this room…I think I'm gonna cry!"

Bow rolled her eyes. "Oh brother…"

"The Drama Slam is in exactly one week from today, which I know might not be enough time to prepare, but I think "The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness" will beat the other dumb entries, "My Last Tomorrow", "Star Wars: The Musical", and "A Really Super Gushy Love Story That 80% of Girls Will Love!" Don't those sound dumb?"

"Yes- all four of 'em!" laughed Tayzee, and no one could contain laughter. Luigi was the only one not laughing and stood up.

"Hey! This flower has a dream, a dream that is dependent on us and us alone!"

Malon smacked her head.

"Oh, please don't start a speech…" groaned Jerry.

Tails sighed. "He means well…"

"But he'll get what's coming to him!" finished Blooey.

"-So I don't think you should be-"

"Boo!" "Get off the stage!" "I want my money back!"

"Order! ORDER!" Hayzee desperately yelped, trying to calm everyone down. Mere moments after that, Tayzee was beating Luigi senseless, Malon was trying to pry the blue Dayzee off, Conroy and Jackson were betting it all on the girl, and Bow and Bunia made comments about how violence wasn't the answer.

"Ooo, I hope Luigi doesn't get a black eye!" exclaimed Tails, covering his eyes.

"Are you nuts?! I'll end up putting this Luigi beating on YouTube!" cheered Blooey. "TEAR OFF HIS MUSTACHE!"

"Yes, torture the soul!" Prickle cackled.

Luigi let out a girl scream as Tayzee, who apparently was a very tough flower, took a hard grip on the plumber's facial hair. Malon tried to pull him off once more, but only ended up adding pain to Luigi's face.

"Spare the 'Stache! Spare the Stache!"

"Shouldn't we do something, Layzee?" Mayzee asked the yellow Dayzee lying on the floor. Layzee just waved a leaf.

"Oh, calm down Mayzee-girl! Tayzee's got it under control-"

"He's the one causing the problem, nit wit."

"ENOUGH!"

The stage suddenly settled down and sound disappeared from the air. Just before Luigi was about to have his mustache stolen from right under his nose, Meta Knight had stepped in and pointed his golden spiky sword at Tayzee.

"Get off the man or I start reciting, "She Loves Me, She loves me not!""

Tayzee could only gulp as he scrambled off Luigi. Luigi, on the other hand, hid behind Meta Knight.

"That's why he's the star!" called Hayzee. "Now that the _completely uncalled for_ brawl is over, you'll all be trying out for the parts tomorrow, then we'll go over the scripts. Day 2 we do first rehearsal and start making props. Day 3 Obviously more rehearsals, begin costumes, and whomever ends up being stage crew will begin learn the ropes of the curtains-ha-AND start the stage. Day 4 we start dress rehearsal, with effects provided by the stage crew, and finish working on the stage. Day 5 we put it all together, and Day 6 is the big night! Any questions?"

Conroy raised his hand. "Yeah, if we're going to be here for a week working on this play…where are we going to stay?"

"Jazzafrazz Town is a huge city, and it has no hotels at all!" added Bunia.

"We can't exactly camp here!" "My bows from my simply wonderful boyfriend would get stained for sure!" "I'm just too good for that!"

Hayzee looked thoughtful. "Um…there are two trailers in the back! They're not too shabby, so they'll be suitable for a few nights. Any more questions?"

No reply. Hayzee gave a nod and passed out the scripts except to Meta Knight, since he already had his for the main role. Luigi scanned the pages to find that the main supporting male was an insecure young man named Layle. Luigi was a shoo-in for the part! As he happily memorized the lines, the trailers were divided up into Team Luigi plus Meta Knight and Bunia, and the other was for the rest of the cast to prevent issues. The only one who didn't show up in a trailer was Prickle.

"Oomph! We gotta stay in this monkey suit for a week man!? NOT cool!" complained the 4th part. The top part bounced, causing the other eight to be sent off balance and toppled over.

'For you information, this is a Pokey Suit, and yes, we have to stay in it…poke poke?"

"We can't even speak our native tongue in this thing!" growled the 6th part.

"Think of how I feel! Me-" started the ninth. The first grumbled once again.

"It's already enough we're a 9 ball tall Pokey, we don't need anymore suspicion thrown on us! Now shut up and sleep on that nice patch of grass over there!"

"Uh…"

"What now!?"

"We can't quite move…"

"Yeah, you knocked us down!"

"FINE! Just sleep in the patch of grass HERE!"

**Team Luigi Trailer-**

"Wow…pretty big!" commented Torque upon entering. "Not too shabby at ALL!"

"AND there's just enough beds for all of us!" cheered Malon. "Ah, the road to stardom…"

Luigi couldn't take his eyes off the script. "Oh man, oh man! I've gotta be really good if I want this "Layle" part!"

"I want the main lady!" stated Malon. "What about you, Tails?"

Tails, who was much more comfortable on a high cupboard than an actual bed and all curled up in his tails, just shrugged. "I'm not a really good actor…I'm a much better man for stage crew. That's what Torque and I are gonna do!"

Torque nodded. "Good to see my talents won't be wasted!"

"I wish I got a choice…" murmured Meta Knight quietly in the corner. "I fly in and next thing I now I've got the most important part in a play…"

"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Jerry.

"I suppose, but I'd rather have worked for it than have it handed to me…"

Luigi jumped up in excitement, hit his head on the ceiling, and then landed next to Meta Knight. "Um, while we're on the subject of the play…thank you for saving me from that deranged flower!"

"Don't mention it. Ever."

Luigi raised his arms and reeled back. "O-Okay…no problem there!"

Malon tossed her hair and stared at Meta Knight. "_I_ can still mention it! Why'd you do it? I've been told you don't just up and save people! You've always got intentions…"

Meta Knight's yellow eyes seemed to light up intensely. "That is none of your business why…if you want the part you speak of, I recommend you going to bed so you don't look like a tired sack."

Blooey shook his head and tisked. "Touchy, touchy!"

"Good night."

Bunia just nervously looked around. "Um…yeah, I might be going to sleep too…"

The hamburger Spunia instantly fell onto his pillow and started to snore. Tails was also asleep in his cozy little place, and all that was left to do for everyone else WAS go to sleep. Torque carefully removed his torque so he wouldn't tear the bed, Blooey messed up his bed before jumping comfortably into it, and Luigi and Malon just slid in theirs.

"Hey…where'd Meta Knight go?" Luigi whispered to Malon. Malon scanned the now dark room and pointed to the corner. Meta Knight had simply covered his face with the cape and fallen asleep.

"Kinda a dark weirdo in my opinion…" Malon stated. "…but overall he's all right. It just takes him time to get used to people."

"Malon?"

"Yes Luigi…"

"If you, Tails, and Meta Knight were at that party so long ago, and you couldn't teleport then, how did you get there?"

"I don't know about Meta Knight but Sonic and Link teleported us. If I'm correct Meta Knight always knew how to teleport, but he could never go outside his own world- only able to teleport within it."

"Maybe if he eases up to us, we can figure out just how he got here…" murmured Tails in his sleep, but somehow still listening. Luigi just blinked and rested his head on his pillow.

"I have much to learn about all this teleporting stuff…"

"So do we, Luigi. So do we."

* * *

**...I may have possibly, very slightly, in a mircospic way _rushedthischapter, _but only because I wanted something to build up from to actually get good chapters for Jazzafrazz. Which means, anything not explained or whatever can be used in the plot of upcoming chapters. but then I read this one and I feel like I squished it... *here comes my catchphrase* Oh well!**

**META KNIGHT!? LADY BOW?! A penguin named CONROY?! Oh my gosh- it's an overload!!!**


	28. Roles of Utmost Importance

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 27: Roles of Utmost Importance

The first day of the play was a hectic one. The cast was all jittery about the roles they wanted, and though some had it in the bag, some had no talent at all; everyone was bound to get something truly meant for them. Meta Knight was going over his main role lines, a bit bored to be frank, Malon was doing some reciting, and Tails was praying that he _wouldn't_ get a part. Luigi was saying some "Layle" lines rather terribly, The Crazee Trio was in perfect harmony singing, Bunia was chaotically ramming into spare props out of pure nervousness, Conroy was watching Jackson be smacked around by Bow, and Prickle was off in the corner mumbling to himself.

"This part shall be mine!" Luigi said confidently.

"No part shall be mine!" wailed Tails.

"I wonder what we'll end up doing…" pondered Jerry to the partners. "I mean, we're not even trying out for parts really…"

"Hayzee told me that I'll be helping whoever's stage crew, Blooey has some singing duet, and you, Jerry, are in charge of costumes, props, paint, scripts, and stuff like that," Torque explained.

"What?! Oooo, that's so _cheap!!!_ How come I get all the hard labor?"

"Don't look at us! I don't like the idea of me singing!" squawked Blooey. "Who's idea was that?!"

Hayzee then entered the room, and clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention. Everyone silenced their excited ramblings about the play and was actually still and quiet.

"Okay, we don't have the time to waste, so we're going to begin the auditions right away!"

"Wow- this guy sure gets to the point!" Conroy chuckled. "I like that!"

"Who wants to go first?"

Cue loud simultaneous shout of "MMEEEEEEEE!".

"WHOA! WHOA! WOAH! Take it easy!"

"Well there are people who simply MUST get important parts!" cackled Bow, holding up her fan and glancing intently at Hayzee.

"Can I go first?" asked Bunia.

"No."

"I wasn't asking _you_, Tayzee!"

"Maybe** I **should go first!"

"We're all going to go at sometime-"

"I'll go!" cried Tails. "Then I won't audition and I'll get stage crew!"

Hayzee grabbed his head. "Ugh, maybe I should've started earlier…"

"Well who IS going first!?" complained Jackson.

"Today WOULD be nice…" added Bunia.

"Okay, you know what? Let's just go by who wants what part…of course, the main role is taken-" Meta Knight rolled his eyes. "-so anyone who wants the second leading male or female go over…there."

Luigi, Conroy, Bunia, Malon, and Bow went to designated spot.

"You want the leading female?" gawked Luigi to Malon. Malon just shrugged.

"It appealed to me."

"All right, up first we'll have…Bunia!"

Bunia started nervously looking around and sweat dropped. "M-M-Me!? First!? Oh no! Can't…handle…pressure…AUGH!"

Bunia fainted before anyone had even said anything, and Jackson awkwardly walked up and dragged him away.

"Ahem anyway…" Hayzee coughed. "So, you four want the main parts?"

"Yes! YES!" screamed Luigi.

"Well, you're up!"

Luigi eagerly skipped to the front, coughed, then took his position.

"Okay, okay! Ahem…" he began to recite some lines. "You, my friend…your Fiery Hat of Social Awareness is a rather _hot topic_, isn't it? ISN'T IT!? No wonder it is no longer in thy possession!"

Luigi then started copying Star Wars lines while imitating an epic light saber battle- sound effects included.

"Use the force! I AM your father…far from the tree, apple does not fall…this part, Luigi MUST get!"

Hayzee blinked his eyes, coughed into his hand, and then scribbled something onto his clipboard. "Uh, thank you Luigi…I've got a part in mind for you, anyway…"

Luigi struck a touchdown pose. "YES!"

"Uh…NEXT! Conroy!"

Conroy strutted up with pride and held up a flipper. "It's your fault…that hat made you socially aware…you are to blame for the consequences! And tomorrow…you'll never see the sunrise AGAIN! NOOOooooooo…"

Hayzee jumped up and clapped his hands. "Outstanding Conroy! I think I know what part _you're_ going to get!"

Conroy bowed. "It's only natural, my dear director!"

Luigi just scoffed. "Yeah, good luck with that! We already know that "Layle" part is mine!"

Malon clunked her way up next. "Mememememe! Okay, all right…Oh, why…WHY did you put on that fiery hat of social awareness? You have become so self-conscious, so conflicted, and so misunderstood…you couldn't have just gotten an icy cold hood of physical isolation instead, could you?"

"It wasn't my fault…" Meta Knight recited up above, deciding to give his lines a chance. "I did not choose the hat- the hat, it chose me…"

Malon gasped as Hayzee clapped wildly. "Marvelous, Meta Knight. Malon, you're in consideration, depending on how well Bow does-"

"Which will be fantastic, gah hahahaha!" the green boo princess cackled happily.

Malon snickered. "Let's just see…"

Bow smirked behind her fan and floated dramatically up to center stage.

"Oh, my darling…no matter what becomes of this incident, I shall stand by your side til the very bitter sweet fiery end…I promise…"

Hayzee held up a hand. "Bow! Your voice flows so smoothly…so soft, so sincere! This just might be a tough decision…"

Malon's jaw dropped while Bow flat-out laughed. Hayzee made some more notes scribbled down on his clipboard before selecting the next group of auditioners. Next up was Tails, the Dayzee Trio, and Jackson. After that, Bunia would try again and Prickle would take a shot.

"Uh-huh! Tails-"

"I demand the role of stage crew!"

"Tails, that isn't a role but-"

"I can't help it! I'm a terrible actor!" he wailed dramatically, collapsing to the floor. "My heart belongs to building things!"

"Okay then…I get it…you can be stage crew…though I don't think I've ever seen someone so eager for that…"

Tails sprung back up. "YES! I got the part I wanted!"

"It's _not_ a part-"

Tails gave his trademark grin. "But I'M still happy!"

Malon sighed, smiled, and shook her head. "Tails, Tails…"

Tails eagerly clapped his hands and ran backstage. "I'll get started on the curtains and lights- and I WILL do my best!!"

Hayzee blinked and coughed. "Um, okay…uh, Dayzee Trio?"

Mayzee and Tayzee were front and center within seconds while Layzee took his sweet time.

"Yawn…what're we doin'?"

"We're auditioning!" "Yeah, don't screw us up!"

"Ooh, okay!"

"Sooo…who are you going for?" asked Hayzee.

"We were actually going for the three random singing flowers that get to shine in Scene 5..."

"Oooh, good choice! I don't think you have much competition, so we'll just need to see if you're qualified singers…"

Mayzee smirked and snapped her fingers. "All right then! Hit it!"

Meta Knight sweat dropped from where he was perched. "Oh, this'll be interesting…"

"Do…" "Re…" "Mi!" "Fa-" "-so-" "-la-" "-ti-" "DO!"

Everyone covered their ears- flowers have REALLY high voices…

"We-"

"NO MORE! Just…uh, if no one else auditions, you guys get the part!"

The trio exchanged high-fives. "Yes! We hardly had to do anything!"

"I think they've done enough…to my eardrums!" complained Tails.

Hayzee grabbed his head and sighed. "So much pressure…maybe this was a bad idea…"

"NO! Then we'll never become stars!" wailed Conroy.

"Then these auditions need to improve!"

Conroy gave a nod and slugged Jackson in the shoulder. "Don't screw this up!"

"No pressure there!"

Jackson went for Random Mysterious Guy in the Background, and it was obvious Hayzee would end up giving him the part, Jerry attempted to audition for something but failed, and Bunia tried to give his lines, but he spoke so quietly Hayzee planned to cast him as a brown tornado. Then, Prickle was up next.

"And what part are you going for, Prickle?"

Prickle grinned evilly. "I'm going for the role of the bad guy! You know, the one who steals the hat?"

"Yes, yes…let's see what you've got."

Prickle coughed to prepare his voice, but a bright spotlight suddenly turned on and blinded him.

"Augh! My eyes! I'm going blind! The light-IT BURNS!!"

A sandbag fell down from nowhere, striking Prickle in the head and knocking him down.

"Urgh…I'm ok-"

The big blue curtain fell right on top of Prickle, and Tails' voice could be heard calling out, "Sorry! My hands slipped!"

"Oooo…"

Hayzee coughed, then turned to the other actors. "Um, okay…well, that IS what happens to the bad guy, ironically, and since Prickle will be able to face those challenges again, he'll be the bad guy of the play."

"Ignore the minors, tell us what WE got!" called Tayzee.

"All right, all right…ahem, first off, Bunia-"

Bunia instantly flipped out. "I SERIOUSLY GOT A PART!? No way! I can't believe it! Mom will be so proud-"

"-you're a tornado that has no speaking parts."

"…YES! I don't even have to speak!"

Excited, Bunia started whirling around the stage, laughing happily.

"Next, the Dayzee Trio will be the random singing flowers that get to shine in Scene 5."

Mayzee, Tayzee, and Layzee exchanged high fives.

"Jackson gets Random Mysterious Guy in the Background, of course, I'm going to be the Red Miracle, Tails is Stage Crew, Bow will be the leading lady Mary Anne-"

"What!?" cried Malon. "Meta Knight and I were in perfect sync with me as that part!"

Bow looked quite smug behind her fan. "It was clear that I was the better choice for the part…"

Malon was frantic. "Then what do _I_ get!?"

"You've got the main female singing part, alongside Blooey…"

"M-Me!? Sing? I mean, I'm good with music, but…singing? I-I don't know…"

Hayzee smiled. "Don't worry, Malon! You'll be great! You can usually tell by the way a person speaks that they're great singers, and I definitely see it in you! You've got a beautiful voice Malon…"

Malon blushed. "Th-Thanks…"

"I'm singing with Malon?!" Blooey cried. "That's better than with a random stranger, but I might make Malon look bad!"

Malon patted Blooey. "It'll go good, I promise!"

"Conroy will get the main supporting role of Layle-"

"YES!!!" "NOOO!!!"

Everyone glanced nervously at Luigi.

"Come on! I was born for that part!" Luigi complained. "You give my golden role to some penguin and disregard my amazing talent!?"

"Luigi, your try-out was terrible."

"Way to be _nice_ about it…"

Hayzee stood up and got dead serious. "Luigi…the part I'm going to give you just might be the most important role in the entire play, aside from Meta Knight's part…but either way, you, Luigi, weren't found by chance. It was fate. You're perfect for this role-you are wearing green after all…Luigi…you are going to get the part of…**grass**."

Silence.

Then, insane laughter.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!"

"Luigi's talent was weeded out!"

"Hayzee sure planted him in the right part!"

"He'll certainly **grow** to fame now! After all, he's on the right root!"

"Aren't these jokes getting a bit_ mulch_?"

"Oh look- he's turning green with envy!"

"The grass IS always greener…on the other side of Luigi!"

"_Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!"_

The entire cast was rolling of the floor, laughing out loud, laughing their butts off, and most of them were laughing so hard they were crying. Meta Knight's expression couldn't be seen, but he was definitely suppressing laughter. Malon had to hold her mouth close to prevent from bursting out, Tails just couldn't help it and laughed anyway, and Blooey, Jerry, and Torque had plans to never let Luigi live this down.

"What…kind of a part…is THAT!?" groaned Luigi. "Shouldn't grass be a _prop!?"_

"But…but it suits you so WELL!" protested Hayzee. "And there's really no other part I can put you as…"

"You should DIG this role, Luigi!" cackled Blooey.

"Just be glad you made the **cut**!" Torque threw in.

Luigi just covered his face with his hat and waited for the half-hour of laughter to pass.

**Half-an-Hour later-**

Everyone was unable to laugh anymore because their stomachs and laugh boxes were killing them. Hayzee took a deep breath and continued, at last.

"Is everyone all laughed out, now?"

Everyone gave meek nods. Hayzee put on a stern look and scooped up the scripts.

"Good. Here's the official scripts; you have the rest of the day to go over them, and we'll start the real work tomorrow."

Hayzee gave everyone a script except Luigi.

"Oh what?! I don't get any lines either!?"

"Grass doesn't talk, fool…" Tayzee teased. "You've had your grassy head under a rock too long!"

"Oh, please don't make us laugh…" begged Conroy. "I think I split something…"

Luigi glanced at Bunia, who had a single piece of paper in his hands.

"How come Bunia gets a script? He's a tornado-they don't talk either!"

"Actually, it's telling me what I should do and when," Bunia explained. "Unlike grass, I actually move."

"Well, maybe I can wave in the wind or something."

"I've got a script too!" Tails called. "That means Stage Crew IS a role!"

"What!?"

"Yeah, it just tells me when to kick in the effects though. But I still get one!"

Luigi just sighed and plopped onto the floor. "I guess I'd better get into character…"

Tails just grinned in sympathy. Malon, on the other side of stage, was panicking over how much she had to sing in the play. It was making her legs tremble, and if possible, Blooey was more nervous than she was.

"HEY! How come I have to get knocked out several times!?" complained Prickle, gaping at the script. Hayzee just gave him a bright and cheery grin.

"Comic relief."

"What!? But I'm the villain!"

"The best villains are the funny ones!"

Prickle grumbled something under his breath while part number 7 started rapidly shaking. 6 and 8 did their best to keep to prevent the shaking. Everyone else didn't really have anything to say about their scripts but to just learn them and get them memorized.

"Is this all we're doing today?" asked Mayzee. Hayzee nodded.

"Yes! But there'll be plenty of work tomorrow, so be ready!"

Later that night, just before they all went to their trailers, Luigi, Malon, Tails, and their partners decided to go practice their lines with Meta Knight, rather than with the rest of the cast (besides Bow, Bunia, Mayzee, and slightly Conroy) since they were complete jerks-at least, only to Luigi. But that was besides the point.

"Hey Meta Knight!" Malon called, slightly loudly, when they headed over to Meta Knight. Meta Knight was just sitting off by himself, staring at his script. He did acknowledge their presence by turning around a bit.

"Can I help you?"

"We just wanted to know if you wanted to rehearse with us…" Tails asked shyly.

"And only the worlds know why we wouldn't want to do it with those others…" murmured Luigi with a grunt.

"I dunno-I thought those other guys were pretty funny!" Blooey exclaimed.

"I didn't…"

"You guys want to practice with me?" Meta Knight asked.

"Well yeah! You can't really get into it until you've worked with others!" Jerry put out.

"It'll be fun!" chirped Tails, flying around. "It'll also give me an idea about to manage the stage!"

"I can't believe I have to sing in this!" Malon moaned.

Luigi did a double take. "_I_ can't believe I'm a useless, unimportant role of grass!"

Everyone struggled to suppress laughter, despite the fact Luigi noticed anyway.

"I can't believe I've gotta kiss somebody…" murmured Meta Knight. Everyone froze.

"Well, that's not a super bad thing, right?" Malon asked.

"It wouldn't be, if it wasn't Bow, who keeps constantly expressing she has a boyfriend."

Jerry gasped. "Wow! What a twist!"

"Is that why you're all cooped up over here alone?" questioned Tails. Meta Knight shook his head.

"I don't like those guys as much as you do…"

"But you like us, right?" Tails asked hopefully.

Meta Knight shrugged. "I prefer you over those guys. If that's what you mean by "liking you" then sure."

Tails made a slight face. "You're kinda like Knuckles…"

"Knuckles? Why am I like knuckles?"

"No, not like, real knuckles…my friend's name is Knuckles!"

Malon snapped his fingers. "Ooh! Was he that red porcupine thing with you?"

"Yeah! That'd be the one!"

Meta Knight seemed interested. "Oh yes…I remember him now, but he walked off before I really got to know him."

"Well, you both are tough, like to be off by yourself-"

"Not to be rude, Tails, but we came to rehearse, not chat up a storm about some guy I haven't even met…" Luigi pointed out.

Tails was okay with it though and nodded. "Right, right…I just got off topic there."

"Well, it's kinda only going to be me, Meta Knight, Blooey, and maybe Jerry practicing because we're the only ones who have real scripts," Malon began nervously. Luigi rolled his eyes and fell flat on the ground.

"I can practice too! I can just lay here! If I'm going to be grass, I'll be the best darn grass ever!"

"Dude, grass is lame…" Torque grunted.

"I know…I was trying to make myself feel better!"

"Well, it'll already be too late for that!" snorted Tayzee, strolling up confidently with Layzee, Jackson, Bunia, and Conroy. Mayzee and Bow had already retired for their trailer and Prickle was trying to stay as far away from everyone as it was. Naturally, Luigi froze with fear while the rest of Team Luigi plus Meta Knight stood up.

"What do you guys want?" Malon sighed. "You've already done enough to poor Luigi as it is!"

"Yeah, go take a hike!" added Tails. Blooey, Jerry, and Torque were torn to stay back and watch Luigi get tortured or side with their Soul Partners-and Meta Knight.

"What makes you think you can tell us what to do?" Tayzee scoffed.

"What makes you think you can just walk up here and start ripping on everyone?" Meta Knight replied darkly but calmly.

"We actually want to do a good job on this play, unlike you snobs who are only in it for the fame!" snapped Tails. Meta Knight gave him a look that said he should probably stay quiet and turned his gaze back to Tayzee and his group. Bunia was looking awfully uncomfortable, like he had been dragged into this, Layzee was half asleep, and Jackson and Conroy kept exchanging glances and wanted things to get over with.

"Yeah, but Hayzee doesn't care why any of us are here, first of all…" Tayzee started again. "…he's just so concerned about that play of his, he can hardly think straight!" he then gave Luigi a dark smirk. "That's why that sap over there was cast as a useless plant on the side of the road!"

**Three seconds later-**

"I'm going to tear all four of his measly blue petals off!" Luigi wailed, now being held back by the combined for of Malon, Tails, and Meta Knight.

"Violence is not the answer!" Malon tried to say.

"But it's definitely a solution…" mumbled Meta Knight. Malon gave him a look while Luigi was now fighting and wrestling to get out of their grip. Blooey, Jerry, and Torque were sitting on the side passing around popcorn.

"Ooh, this is getting good…"

"I bet Luigi loses…"

"Maybe he'll get burned…like me!"

"Get over it, Blooey…"

Blooey grumbled and made a face- _everyone_ had started telling him that. But he cheered up when he saw the fight staring to spike.

"Oh yeah? YOUR MOM!" Luigi shouted after replying to another grass comment.

"Is that the best you can really do?"

"Maybe we should just back off," Conroy started. "They really didn't do anything to us…"

Tayzee glared over his shoulder. "I refuse to let anyone get in my way of fame! I'm just giving these guys a warning…"

"Yeah, okay Tayzee, you go and try and get all famous, fail, and me and my team will do what we can to try to make the worlds a better place, all right?" Luigi quipped right back, not missing a beat now. Tayzee leaned back.

"You guys? Make the worlds a better place? You could do that by getting out of the world!" Tayzee cackled. "Besides, how are you supposed to do that while you're trying to outdo me in a play?"

Luigi smirked and pulled out the Marvelous Compass. "Like this. Eastern Wind!"

A rapid wind violently whipped up out of nowhere, yet coming from an Eastern direction, and literally brought Tayzee up into the air with it. It started spinning into a tornado, until it suddenly vanished and Tayzee was blown into a wall-on the other side of the room. Tayzee's "gang" started at Luigi until he jabbed the compass at them, and they instantly ran away screaming.

"Good job Luigi!" Malon shrieked, giving Luigi another victory hug.

"Way to blow him off!" laughed Tails. Luigi just gave a small smile.

"Thanks, I guess…but I really don't like getting like that. It just doesn't feel like me, you know?"

"You did seem a little off, but maybe its some hidden courage you haven't discovered, or something crazy like that…"

"Maybe…Malon, you can let go of me now."

"Oh wah? S-Sorry, you know how huggy I am…" Malon muttered while hiding a light blush. Tails let out a playful groan.

"Oh, don't I know it!"

Malon gave a fake gasp and lightly hit Tails. "Oh, don't pretend you don't like hugs!"

"I'm too old for that now. That was the other Tails- I'm the new macho Tails who doesn't like hugs or being tucked in!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"So you won't like it if I did…this?!"

"What!? No-"

Malon tackled Tails to the ground in a hug, but Tails fought back strongly. Meta Knight just watched as they rolled around on the floor, play-fighting each other and laughing all the while.

"That pounce was something I'd do if I was still a kid!"

"You are still a kid!"

"A younger kid! You know, that old Tails who _likes_ hugs and being tucked in!"

"I thought we were going to-" Meta Knight started. Luigi just sighed and waved it off.

"Aw, let it go. We've got more than enough time to memorize the lines- the play isn't very long, after all. Let them have fun- last time they stood up like that they nearly had two tails and a ponytail ripped out!"

Meta Knight cringed inwardly.

"Not kidding."

"You would've never guessed, looking at them rolling around like that."

Luigi smiled. "No. And I think that's the good thing…"

"I'm still…unsure about those other cast members. Tayzee's obviously the main one, Prickle's definitely a shifty character, yet everyone else…just follows in Tayzee's shadow."

Luigi nodded. "We really need to end that as soon as we can…"

"Hey, where did those partners of yours end up?"

Luigi froze. "I don't know, but they plot on ways to kill me when no one is watching them…"

Meta Knight gave Luigi a look.

"They hate me. For accidents!"

"Okay."

"You believe me?"

"I don't really know…"

Luigi threw up his hands. "Well whatever! Malon! Tails! We're turning in for the night!"

"Awwwwww-"

"Now don't give me any of that!"

"You sound like my dad!" Malon huffed, placing her hair neatly back in place and clomping toward he trailer. Tails flew along behind her.

"You…uh, remind me of Sonic when he's really tired!" Tails piped up. Luigi cocked his head. "…which is actually quite rare, but it happens. "

He just carried on, and Luigi followed after, sighing. "You coming Meta Knight? I mean, I'm not in charge of you or anything but-"

"I'll be there in a few minutes…" was the reply, although a bit airily. "…there's something I'd really like to take care of first."

"Okay. See you…"

Luigi ran off, Meta Knight still pondering.

Luigi didn't even want to _think_ about what was going on in the other trailer. Bunia had given them "top secret inside info" about the others: Tayzee was highly full of himself and hardly liked the thought of competition- let alone the actual experience. Mayzee wished she Tayzee and Layzee were completely different that what they are, Layzee was, well, lazy, Conroy was truly a good guy who just liked to show off a little, Jackson was Conroy's best friend and usually followed everything he did, Bunia himself was just a soft soul who was highly unstable at times, and he said he had no idea what Prickle was like, since he preferred to sleep outside all the time.

"Huh. So, really, it's only Tayzee that's the problem, like we thought…" Luigi pondered. Bunia shook his head.

"Not really, Mister! I mean, yeah, but…be careful of Prickle too! I always hear him whispering about you and your gang…seven times, and I've hardly been with him a day and a half!"

"That's unnerving…thank you for letting me know, Bunia."

Bunia looked proud. "Anytime, Mister! I'm glad I could be like a double agent detective spy guy!"

Luigi was satisfied with the info and at long last, climbed into bed to get away from the terrible day…especially being grass. Honestly. When he started getting comfortable in bed, he started to feel some kind of burning sensation that got worse and worse with every passing second.

"EEEEIIIIIIII!!!!!"

That loud and girly scream was enough to wake everybody up, and Luigi could hear his partners cracking up and snapshots being taken.

"What did you guys do…" Malon said sleepily but sternly, getting at least Blooey to calm down.

"We put a hot coal in Luigi's bed," Jerry stated bluntly. Luigi nearly fainted.

"What!?"

"Blooey's idea…" grunted Torque. "I'd rather steal your wallet, but there's nothing in there-"

"Which I keep telling you!"

"Torque, please don't be influenced by these bad acts, okay?" Tails asked, again half asleep.

"I'll try to restrain myself for your sake.

"All right-"

"What about _my_ sake!? I bet there's a hole in my back!"

"The coal wasn't that hot, unfortunately…" Jerry explained. "Maybe about the same temp as a toaster. Nothing life threatening, really."

Luigi picked up the coal and chucked it out the window within he same second he'd touched it.

"Go to bed," Tails and Malon said to the partners at the same time. They grumbled amongst themselves, but obeyed anyway. Luigi scanned his bed once again, then safely climbed into it. Jerry was right- his back didn't really hurt, it was more of the shock that got him. Luigi was going to get back at them- either in revenge or a way that would at least get them to like him.

Meanwhile, Meta Knight was swooping around in the dark of the night, landing on front of the other trailer. He kicked it open gently- everyone was sleeping except for Tayzee, who was studying his lines. Excellent.

Tayzee look up and scowled when he saw Meta Knight. "Hey! This isn't your-"

Within the same moment, Meta Knight had Tayzee up against a wall and his sword up against his…stem.

"Listen to me, flower boy. If you so much as think about Luigi or any of his friends in a negative way again, it'll be me you'll have to answer to. They're good guys, and they don't need your dirty attitude staining them, got it?"

"I don't want to-"

Meta Knight pressed harder. "Say yes, and mean it. I may not have your word, but I've always got my sword…"

Tayzee closed his eyes and murmured ever so quietly, "…yes."

Meta Knight seemed satisfied and removed his threatening weapon. "Be grateful I'm giving you a second chance. I'm tired of watching you treat people like the soil you grew from. Which, obviously, must be pretty rotten dirt."

Tayzee growled and went to lunge at Meta Knight, but Meta Knight wrapped himself up with his cape and vanished in the blink of an eye before Tayzee could get to him.

When Meta Knight suddenly appeared in the trailer, Luigi, who hadn't been fully sleeping, jolted awake. Meta Knight froze. That was what he _didn't_ want to do, that was for sure.

"Meta Knight?"

"...Yes?"

"Where, um…where were you, if it's all right to ask?"

Meta Knight shrugged and flew over to where he slept. He got completely comfortable before answering with a, "I was just taking care of a few things. If things went right, you shouldn't have to worry about it."

Now Luigi was confused, but he was too tired to even try to make sense of why he was confused in the first place.


	29. Take it From the Top

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 28: Take It From the Top

"_I'm_ the _only_ one who studied their lines, Hayzee…" Tayzee boasted when everyone had returned the next morning. "Everyone else will probably need their scripts, but _I _don't!"

"You interrupted our practice time!" Malon hissed, yet staying as far away from him as possible. It was best not to provoke any negative emotions this early in the morning. And yet…the truth was, Tayzee really was the only one who went over his lines- everyone else either couldn't or just blew it off. Hayzee, of course, didn't believe Tayzee and gave him his trademark grin.

"That's okay- if they really didn't practice, we've got all day to do so!"

Tayzee smacked his head while snickers circled around. Hayzee then clapped his hands to get them all started.

"All right, all right! Day 2- start rehearsals and begin the props! Tails, Torque, Jerry, Bunia, and Luigi- since you won't be in the first scene, you guys can start working on the props."

"What!? First you denounce me as grass and now I'm suddenly prop-guy? Urgh…"

"Calm down- the first scene is the only scene you're not in!"

"…I don't know if that's good or bad. That's like, 6 scenes of being grass on the side of the road."

Tails patted his back. "C'mon! At least you get to work with me!"

"I suppose, I suppose…"

Hayzee coughed. "Ahem! Anyway, the first scene is where Meta Knight, as the main role, will be rummaging through his basement and find the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness. Out of curiosity, he puts it on, only to have Bow, Conroy, and Prickle to come in and start to talk. He wants to know where it came from and that's where the mystery-"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait…we just pop out of nowhere now that's he's all socially aware and then he wonders about the mystery?" Conroy asked with distaste. "That's so lame!"

"It doesn't really make sense, now that he points it out," added Bow daintily.

"Do I really have to be the main part?" murmured Meta Knight, but no one heard him.

"Well, what? Should the wonder of the mystery come before you appear out of nowhere?"

"At the least!"

Hayzee gave a serious nod, scribbled something out, then wrote something else in its place.

"Okay, so after the people show up, Meta Knight is so socially aware-"

"Do I really have to be the main part!?" Meta Knight murmured again, quieter and almost wincing.

"-that he asks the group if anything is wrong. They all say no-"

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have scripts, so can't we just do what they say?" Prickle stated.

"I just wanted everyone to get the picture!"

"I get the picture…" moaned Meta Knight.

"So let's act that out so far!" Bow cried, getting front and center.

"But we're not finished with the scene-"

Hayzee was ignored as Meta Knight, Bow, Conroy, and Prickle got into positions, as if they were where they were supposed to be with the stage all set up for the scene.

"Okay, I guess…ACTION!!!"

Meta Knight coughed and pretended o be rummaging around in a chest.

"This is WAY too weird-"

"CUT!" Hayzee blared through a mega phone. "META KNIGHT. STICK TO THE SCRIPT."

"This isn't a movie set!"

"LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!"

Meta Knight rolled his eyes and started up his part again. "Oh, I…don't want to do this!"

"CUT! META KNIGHT, WHAT'S-"

"Stop talking through that!!"

"Sorry…but why can't you just go by the script?" Hayzee asked with a quieter voice. "All you have to do is read them off the paper!"

"Yeah Meta Knight!" Tayzee jeered in the background. Meta Knight sent him a glare and replied to Hayzee, "Well…my lines are kinda…lame."

"Lame!? All my lines written in this very script are pure _gold_, man! So just read them!"

"Fine, fine…"

For the third time in a row, the first official rehearsal began. Meta Knight randomly got fown on the ground and began to act his part. "Oh, here I kneel, digging in this chest. What will I find? What will I find? Hopefully something for the best…"

....................

"Wow. Poor Meta…" Tails whispered behind the curtain to Luigi while he was building some multipurpose invention.

"I'd rather have really bad lines than be grass!" Luigi grumbled as he was putting together a wooden background. Torque, because Tails told him to, was helping Luigi put the boards in place. "I think he's lucky! Besides, Conroy took my part…I should be on that stage!"

"You _are_ going to be on the stage!"

"I'd prefer if I wasn't a flimsy piece of greenery!"

.......................

Meanwhile, Meta Knight was trying to push through his dreadful role.

"Hark! What is this I hold in my hand!?" Meta Knight held up a red hat that had a lit birthday candle sticking up out of it and pretended to gasp in awe- or truthfully gasp at the fact it was going to be lit in the first place. "Could it be a Fiery Hat of Social Awareness!?"

"CUE MALON!"

"Hit it, Blooey!"

Blooey, standing on an amplifier, started playing some mad electric guitar as Malon slid out in a pop star outfit.

"Ooh woah! Yeeaaahhh…there's a hat of fire that's aware socially!"

Blooey hit a whammy.

"Yeah, no lie! No lie!"

"Bwahanananana!"

Meta Knight was afraid to glance over his shoulder.

"It's a burning desire in the form of a cap!" Malon threw up her hands. "come on- everyone clap!"

Bow, Conroy, Jackson, Bunia, Mayzee, Layzee, and Jerry started clapping along to the beat. Meta Knight sweat dropped, Tayzee rolled his eyes, and Luigi just shook his head.

"She's really going rock with this!?"

Tails ignored him and started clapping and swaying back and forth. "I like it!"

"MALON!"

A record scratch was heard as Blooey suddenly stopped playing and Malon quit singing.

"Yes Hayzee?"

"The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness' theme is supposed to be a little more…on the downbeat. You can attempt a rock song when we hit the musical number in scene three.

Malon nodded. "Oooooo- okay!" She swiftly left the stage, then returned quickly in a gangster outfit. "Give me a down beat, Blooey!"

Blooey instantly started beat boxing.

"Uh huh! Uh huh! Yo, there's a hat of fire that's aware socially! Yeah, no lie! No lie! Give it a try! You'll know than you ever did- even more than a kid! "It's a burning desire in the form of a cap-"

"My gosh, KNOCK OFF THIS RAP!"

"Hey, good one!" called Jerry.

Hayzee sighed and shook his head. "Malon, the rap song doesn't come until the END of the play! The theme is a normal singing voice- you've just gotta sing it from your heart!"

Malon winced. "Ooh- that's what I'm afraid of! I don't WANT to sing normally!"

"Why?"

"What if it's bad?"

"You were just _rapping_ a few moments ago!"

"What does that have to do with it?! I can't help that you think I'm some kind of soprano!"

Hayzee smacked his head full force.

...............................

"Luigi, what ARE you doing?"

"I'm practicing my part! I said I had to be professional…"

"All you have to do is lay on the ground…it doesn't take that much to do…"

"Aw, why'd you have to go and say THAT!?"

"I'm just being realistic!"

"'EY! Are we gonna do some props 'er what!?" Torque yipped.

"We were just having a conversation!" Luigi exclaimed. "And how come Jerry, Bunia, and I have to help when you and Tails are stage crew?"

"Well, you don't have to now, Luigi!" Tails stated excitedly, signaling he was finished with whatever he was working on. It made Luigi's cheap painted background look like a doormat.

"Whoa…what's that!?"

It was only a rectangular machine that resembled a vending machine, but it was all lit up in little lights and had way more buttons.

Tails grinned and proudly leaned against his machine. "It's a special effects machine- with other effects added by yours truly…"

"So…if we use this, we won't need to use as many props?" asked Luigi.

"Exactly! Wanna try it out?"

"I dunno- I might screw something up…"

Tails ignored Luigi and pulled him over to the machine. "It's okay- I trust you! Besides, the first few runs of something are usually not perfect in the first place."

"You really want me to push a button that I have no idea even does?"

"Yep!"

Luigi gave a small smile, then hit a very appealing button. Tails face instantly fell into fear.

"No! not that one!"

"But you said-"

"DUCK!"

"Hit the floor!" wailed Torque. Luigi couldn't even ask what he did when Tails swooped out of nowhere and brought him to the ground. A sudden beam of energy emitted from the machine, and just as Prickle was about to say his first line, he was hit with the beam and was sent flying into the other side of the stage.

"…that was the self defense button…"

"Why is there a self defense button on a special effects machine?"

"You never know when you need one, you know! Better safe than sorry!"

"Too bad that doesn't apply to this situation…" Bunia murmured, getting off of the ground.

Prickle's head started rolling around in a dizzy fashion. "Oooooo…dur…"

Luigi gulped, whistled, and went back to painting the background for the first scene. "Yeah, Torque's right, better start working on those props…"

...........................

Hayzee just scratched the back of his head. "Well, this is nice. I've got one actor shot, a few that don't even want their parts, some that can't do their parts right and a certain blade of grass that really isn't doing well…how are we going to pull this off people!?"

"Perhaps we could work in sections…" Jackson began. "…you know, separately focus on one thing at a time? That reduces problems, conflict, and any other obstacles or hindrances…"

"He presents a pretty good point…" agreed Bow. "Everyone can practice where needed, since most of the characters are in only one scene anyway!"

"It doesn't solve my singing problem…" grumbled Malon. "But I'd rather do it that way than be with anyone I don't like for longer than I want to!"

"Does everyone agree?" Hayzee asked, a bit of sting in his voice. Everyone raised their hands. "…………..fine. But when someone needs the miracle of rehearsing with the Red Miracle, just remember he was the one who wrote the play…"

Everyone just stared at him as he tossed a script into the air and stomped off. Luigi quickly dove over and safely caught it.

"Well…we sure made him mad…" Bunia moaned.

"But if we do it the way we can all agree on, we'll get more done _and_ better!" Mayzee pointed out.

"It's like we can do this without embarrassing ourselves!"

"Darn, I was looking forward to embarrassment- at least, for you guys…" scoffed Tayzee.

"And how do I get to practice!? By lying on the stupid floor!" finished Luigi sarcastically. "Whether we're being directed or not, I'm still grass!"

His rant went ignored, and everyone started dividing into groups. The Dayzee trio began practicing their number in scene 5, Jackson darted around suspiciously to get into character, Bow, Meta Knight, and Conroy we're getting used to each other since they would be together most of the time, Prickle instantly vanished behind the curtain to do who knew what, Bunia was getting his spin perfect, and Malon and Blooey were working on not being tone deaf. Tails, meanwhile, flew down next to Luigi and proudly said, "I love stage crew."

"Lucky you. Can I swap with Torque?"

"You think I wanna lie on the floor?" Torque murmured with a slight growl.

"Okay! Okay! Out of the question…but since I've done enough "grass practice" for one day, I'm going to check on Hayzee."

Tails gave a thumbs up. "All right! I'll make sure everything's under control here!"

Luigi smiled and patted Tails, then headed after Hayzee. He heard Tails call, "OKAY PEOPLE-I'M CALLING THE SHOTS!" through the megaphone before he left.

"If I was Hayzee…where would I go?"

Thinking it over, it wasn't too hard to come up with a conclusion. Luigi even narrowed his eyes a little as he made his way to the back of the stage where there was a door with a large yellow star that had "HAYZEE" spelled out on it in slightly crude letters. Luigi knocked twice and waited for an answer.

"Is someone looking for the Red Miracle?"

"No but-"

"Then shoo!"

"…shoo?"

"Yeah. You know what that is?"

"…yes, but I want to see Hayzee, not his alter-ego or whatever."

The door cracked open, and Hayzee raised an eyebrow at Luigi. Luigi gave a shy wave and asked if he could come in. Hayzee sighed and opened the door all the way before running back to his director chair and sighing.

"Um, why'd you go running off like that?"

"Why'd you come bother me with that question?"

"Because I have the part of grass that someone gave to me. It's not really much to train for."

Hayzee just kept frowning. "I can't help that I feel a little down about being kicked out of my director's position and now the actors are the…acting? Acted? Actish? I dunno know. But I'm not needed apparently."

Luigi shrugged. "So they don't like the way you do things….but you should see them now! Things are getting done, and I think they're having a good time out there! Of course, there's still problems like Malon and Tayzee and Bunia, but maybe if you apply a gentle nudge, you won't completely shove them over the edge…"

Hayzee looked thoughtful as he considered Luigi's words. "You know what Luigi? You might be right."

"Really!?"

"Yeah…" he suddenly sprung out of his chair and happily started jumping up and down. "Yeah! Maybe if I give them some slight control, things will get done! You're a genius Luigi! Thanks for pointing out the light! I feel like a newly blossomed flower! I FEEL GREAT!"

"Well it wasn't much to get excited over but- YAH!"

Hayzee had snatched Luigi's hand and was now rushing out the door. "C'mon! The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness can't be without us!"

Luigi sweat dropped as he murmured, "I'm sure they'd be fine without me…"

...................................

Later, everyone began to wrap things up. Luigi was sitting on the floor, contemplating on how easy it was to cheer Hayzee up. It was almost frightening. But then he remembered Hayzee was a Crazee Dayzee, and as such, they were usually almost always cheerful, just like the rest of the inhabitants of the city. Hm. They never really _did_ explore the city life…

"Hey, guess what!?" Tails chattered excitedly when he ran up to Luigi's side again. "I finished painting your background and started another one! And I adjusted the lights, fixed the special effects machine, and convinced Conroy to hook me up with a really strong hammer so I could build a couple things out of concrete and metal! How cool is that?"

"What, wait! What did the hammer look like?" Luigi asked. Tails simply pulled it out and showed him. It was slightly different than an Ultra Hammer Mario would receive- it looked just like Luigi's Super Hammer, but the handle had a soft, cushiony grip and the actual "hammer" part was completely made of strong, shiny material- possibly diamond!"

"Conroy just _gave_ this to you?!"

"Yeah. He said it was too fancy and complex for him." Tails then tilted his head. "You seem to like this tool a lot, and I'm finished using it, so you can have it! It's not compatible with Torque anyway."

Luigi practically swiped the tool from Tails and let out a thrilled scream. "Aw, cool!"

"That's supposed to be my line!"

"Sorry…so, what happened in rehearsal? I kinda left after I helped out Hayzee…"

"Basically the same thing before you left. Everyone worked on their parts of the play, and they're going to attempt to put it all together tomorrow. Of course, it won't be perfect, but it's a start. Hayzee wasn't so…uppity about everything like before, but I think he helped out _more_ because of it!"

"How was Malon and her singing?"

Tails cringed.

"Was she terrible or something?"

"Oh, of course not! I heard her singing all by herself in the corner- not even with Blooey! But it was beautiful…and then she heard me 'cause I stumbled over myself, threw some object at me, shouted that I was spying and invading her privacy or something, and then ran off. I don't remember well-whatever she threw at me knocked me out for a couple moments…"

"That's doesn't sound like her…" Luigi frowned. "The last thing she would do would harm a living animal!"

"Don't I know it…"

"Where is she now?"

"Trailer. Once Tayzee declared _he_ had enough rehearsal, everyone else just sorta faded out…why?"

Luigi just headed for the back door. "It's time for to help a second person out today…"

"Ooh, can I help?"

"Sure."

"Can I get Meta Knight if he says yes?"

"Yeah, I suppose…"

"Can I get the partners to-"

"NO. One night of peace would be great…"

Tails folded his arms. "You know, if you tried to like them, they wouldn't hate you-"

"Are you nuts? I burned one, scarred another, and owe a massive debt to the last! Now they're out to kill me!"

"You never know when you can make it up to someone…"

Luigi just grabbed Tails' wrist and pulled him to the trailer.

..............

"Aw Meta Knight, I feel so guilty!" Malon yelled through her pillow. Meta Knight just sat on Tails' shelf and respectfully listened to her. "I know I'm a great singer, but I don't like singing in front of people!"

"Yeah, that's usually the case-"

"No! I'm not scared, I just don't like to…" She then pounded on the bed. "Worse, I flipped out and yelled at Tails and threw an object at him and knocked him out! I'm so terrible!"

Meta Knight cringed. "Just because he _heard_ you?"

"Yeah…what kind of a person am I? Oh, I didn't even I was sorry…but I truly am…"

"You're forgiven!" Tails called cheerfully as he entered the trailer. Malon yelped and was hugging Tails within the same second.

"You know I didn't meant to, right?"

"Of course! It's not like you to intentionally hurt an animal…"

Malon smiled and backed off. "Where's Luigi? He kind of disappeared after Hayzee left…"

"I'm here," Luigi said, also entering. Tails hid a giggle as he flew up toward Meta Knight. "And I was wondering if you wanted to explore Jazzafrazz Town with me, since you've never really been to a city and we should get the must out of this place besides the stage…"

"Mmmm…okay. Only because it's still pretty early and there's really nothing else to do."

"Can we come!?" Blooey, Jerry, and Torque chimed, pulling away from rummaging in Luigi's bag. Tails shook his head.

"Nope!"

"Why not!?"

"Because I made grilled cheese!"

Blooey shook a fist as he snatched the delicacy off a plate Tails pulled from nowhere. "Curse the toasted cheesy goodness that no one can resist…"

Luigi and Malon left the trailer- after Luigi retrieved his bag- and Meta Knight was just left scratching his head.

"Um…what's going on?"

"You wanna find out?" Tails asked. "Luigi said we could go if we wanted!"

"But your partners-"

"They'll be fine- they have grilled cheese, and I put Bunia in charge!"

"You really trust Bunia?"

"He means well. Now let's go! It'll do you some good to get some social time…"

Meta Knight really didn't have a choice as the two flew out the door.

.............

"So…what's with the sudden urge to get me out and about?" Malon question while walking down a sidewalk. Luigi shrugged.

"I dunno. I've hardly talked to you since we got to Jazzafrazz, and I figure it was time to stop that…"

"I see."

The sky was starting to turn to dusk, with a golden glow surrounding the edges of the horizon. Quite pretty, quite pretty.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Tails called, flying up with Meta Knight in tow. Luigi's eyes widened.

"You got Meta Knight to come?"

"Yep!"

Meta Knight just slightly shrugged and landed next to Malon. "Is it a big deal?"

Malon chuckled. "It doesn't have to be…"

"Where are we going first?" Tails wondered.

"Don't know…this is the first time we've officially been here, and it's impossible to know where we're going."

"Unless you look at this Conveniently Placed Map…" Meta Knight stated, holding up a tourist brochure of Jazzafrazz. Luigi, Malon, and Tails gawked at it.

"Does EVERY place have one?" exhausted Malon.

"The wind blew it into my face…"

"Well, it must've been fate, because it's just what we needed!" Luigi decided, pulling it away from him. "Now, let's see…"

"Ooo! Look at all the stores and restaurants and buildings and…stuff!"

"hey…who would've thought Jazzafrazz Town would have a lighthouse?" Malon realized, pointing to said spot at the very corner of the city.

"Well, the surrounding area is a bit rocky…"

"My tourist book says it's just for show, though. Let's go check it out!"

Malon started heading for the lighthouse, while Tails shook his head. "Of all the cool places to go, she chose a lighthouse. Man, I'm tempted to go to a restaurant myself!"

"Too bad it's not your choice, Scamp…" replied Luigi, following after Malon.

"Can you take me to one tomorrow? I'll get a cheeseburger!"

"We'll see."

"Hooray!"

Meta Knight walked silently behind them. "Hmm…you sure do a lot of things together…"

"Of course! We're like best friends!" Luigi laughed. "To think…if I hadn't listened to that letter, I'd still be at home reading a book!"

Tails made a face. "Urgh, thinking about doing nothing at home makes me mad. So boring!"

"What do you usually do, Meta Knight?"

Meta Knight said nothing.

"Don't'cha hang out with anyone back home?"

"…my closest friend is Kirby, and he's also my main rival."

Tails nodded. "Mm, I'd know what that's like. Seen it many times before in my day…"

Luigi gave him a quizzical look. "What are you talking about?"

Before Tails could answer, Malon came running back shouting, "Hurry up, you guys! The lighthouse isn't that far away! And you three…you're too slow!"

"I can't believe she just said that…" Tails moaned.

"Whatever- better keep up with her. There's no stopping that girl hen she's got her mind on something…"

Luigi, Tails, and Meta Knight rushed after her. Malon was right- the oddly placed lighthouse was just down the street, and she was impatiently waiting.

"Just from this angle it looks so peaceful…" she sighed, staring up at the structure. "I wanna go to the top!"

Luigi was wondering if he was pushing the "cheer Malon up" plan a little far. "Oh…that involves climbing up there, you know…"

"Not necessarily," said Meta Knight. "Tails and I could fly us up there…"

"Good idea!" Tails called, grabbing Malon hand and starting to fly up. Meta Knight took Luigi and flew after. Luigi whistled.

"Wow- one handed! Some strength there, Meta Knight."

"I take pride in that, I suppose…"

Tails and Meta Knight set the two down, and all four of them instantly started gazing over the edge. Malon eagerly clasped her hands together and gasped.

"The sky is even prettier from up here! It's so breathtaking!"

"You should see a starry sky in Dreamland…" Meta Knight chuckled. "Now THAT'S a sight!"

"Makes me wish it was always like this…" stated Luigi.

"Did you know Jazzafrazz Town is known for its chocolate?" Tails randomly asked, reading from the book and ignoring the beautiful phenomenon above his head. "I wanna get some on the way back!"

"First juice, now chocolate…" Malon scoffed. "What are we going to do with you?"

Tails just shrugged and started walking and reading aloud random facts at the same time. Meta Knight flew to the very top of the lighthouse and perched himself there, leaving Luigi and Malon on the deck.

"…and then there were two…" Malon trailed.

....

"This is gonna be good!" Tails chuckled as he flew up next to Meta Knight. "My ploy worked like a charm! Now they think I'm reading a book!"

"You really think whatever you're doing will work?"

"Maybe. Just watch!"

.....

Luigi just leaned on the railing. "Yep. Apparently just us now."

"So…what's the real reason you made me leave trailer?" Malon asked with a smirk. "You make it really obvious when you have other intentions…"

"…I do?"

"Yes."

"Well, I wanted to ask you about your singing…why the outburst on Tails, and why don't you want to sing?"

Malon sighed. "I flipped out on Tails because I _hate _when people hear me sing. That's why I prefer to play my flute…I mean, I guess I'm a good singer, but I'm afraid I won't be able to take it if someone says I'm bad…"

"Ah, the whole "what people think" thing…"

Malon turned away. "…maybe. But if I have to, then I probably will. Luigi, do you ever feel like you just can't win?"

Luigi groaned. "All. The. Time. But that's just because I'm me. You, on the other hand, only feel like it in this particular situation!"

"Maybe."

"What would you do if someone asked you to sing?"

Malon shrugged. "I dunno. Depends on who it is. Like, in Hayzee's case, I'll have to, but-"

"What if _I_ asked you?"

Malon froze. "Uhm…"

"You wouldn't say no, would you?"

"T-That's…uh…well, why?!"

Luigi shrugged. "It would be good practice, and I'm only me- _my_ opinion wouldn't effect anyone…and maybe I just wanna hear you, is that okay?"

Malon blinked and turned back to him. "Well…I guess, but I don't really know what to sing."

.......

Meta Knight widened his eyes. "You two were trying to get her to sing?"

Tails nodded. "Just a little encouragement s'all…but if she doesn't, she doesn't and then maybe we won't win the Drama Slam and claim the Marvelous Compass Piece…"

"Well, it sounds like she is-"

"Wha!?"

......

Luigi's eyes widened as Malon started singing. He didn't expect her to break out in song, but there she was, hands folded, worried expression, singing in a not-too-high soprano. Both of them had no idea what she was singing, but it was probably as pretty as the sky that night. Malon was waiting for some terrible reaction, while Luigi was trying not faint from the sheer quality of the singing.

"Whoa…" gawked Meta Knight.

Tails just nodded. "I know…just to think if someone told her that was terrible! If I were her, I'd chuck something at any accidental eavesdroppers too!"

"…so tell me honestly…" she murmured when she finished. What the heck did she just sing? It was one thing to not know the words of a song, but when you sing something you've never even heard of before was another thing…"

"…wow."

"You liked it?"

Luigi, with still wide, impressed eyes, nodded. Malon gave a small smile before called, "Okay you two- you can come back down!"

Tails and Meta Knight shook themselves out of their trances and fell over. Luigi caught Tails, and Malon saved Meta Knight.

"You…knew we were up there?"

'It wasn't hard to hear you talking up there, actually…" Luigi laughed nervously.

"Malon, Hayzee was right. You're truly an amazing singer…" Meta Knight stated.

"Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you…"

"Can we go get my chocolate bar now? Malon singing made me tired it was so good…"

Malon flat out laughed and nodded. "Oh boy…"

"Tomorrow's looking like a good day! Maybe we'll be able to get along better with the cast…" Luigi started to say.

"Hopefully. They all don't seem that bad…" finished Meta Knight.

As they head down from the lighthouse, Prickle poked around the corner and snickered evilly. "Heheheheheh…looks like we've found a start to put our plan into full effect! Meork-ork ork ork ork ork! Now, we just need the help of that crazy blue flower boy…"

"So our cover isn't blown?"

"So there's no suspicion?"

"Uh, duh! What better way to get away with something than to pin it on someone else!? Meeeeeork-ork ork ork!!!"

"Then why do I feel our cover is ALREADY blown…"

* * *

**I know I'm not the only one who noticed that breaks represented with a series of dashes don't work anymore, because that one little guy and a few other have mentioned it too. Apparently I was'nt an acception, and now I do my breaka with a series of periods cuz those don't delete themselves and that long line thing just seems unecessary in the actual chapter...**

**And if you haven't noticed (since I KNOW someone will), I kinda skipped over a bit of the first rehersal sinec I wasn't sure how to do it, and the next chapter is mainly all about the costumes. Then the chapter after that will be nothing but rehearsal ro make up for it! (I was procrastinating...and if I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to get such great advice from my friend XIV ;) ) **

**Happy Friday!**


	30. No More Playing Around

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 29: No More Playing Around

The following day, everyone was feeling a lot more positive at practice/rehearsal. Tails was extra eager to get working on more props, while the others were looking forward to putting together what they had produced yesterday. Like Luigi unintentionally predicted, it was about to get better for his team…

"You know what the best breakfast is?" Blooey asked Jerry, standing on the stage while some of the early birds were doing things ahead of time.

"No, what?"

"French Toast."

"What the- French Toast?"

"Yeah! It's in the same category as grilled cheese and everything!"

"Then what would be for dessert?"

"Shortbread?"

Jerry sighed. "Well…whatever. I just can't believe you tied up Bunia last night-"

"Shhh! No one needs to know that!"

"All right guys!" Hayzee called, now with his brand new spankin' attitude. "Today is Day 3- meaning obviously more rehearsals, begin costumes, and Tails is going to learn how and when to work the curtains."

Tails did a victory dance. "Yes! Woo!"

"Wait…begin costumes?" gasped Jerry. "Oh no-I have to do something!"

"Of course, I apparently don't even need a costume…" sighed Luigi.

"I refuse to remove my bows though…" Bow stated casually, fanning herself as usual.

"Can I wear a black cape and a mask?" Bunia asked excitedly, trying to forget the terrifying experience of the night before.

"You're a tornado- not Zorro."

"Aw petticoats!"

Everyone gave Bunia weird looks before scattering in their groups. Tails and Torque, meanwhile, followed Hayzee to "learn the ropes of the curtain".

"It can't be that hard…I mean, I'm basically pulling a rope!" Tails exclaimed. Hayzee shook a finger.

"Nuh-uh! It's much more than that!" Hayzee demonstrated by grabbing the rope. "See- it's all in the wrist! Give it a slight twist, you hear? You can't pull too hard or too weakly…and you can only put it down- not diagonal, or any other direction! Got it?"

"…I think so…"

Tails grabbed the rope, pulled it, let it up, and dropped the curtain hard on Prickle again.

"YARGH!"

"Whoops…sorry again, Prickle!"

"No problem…just a few battered bones…bent thorns…the such…"

Tails gave a sheepish grin as Hayzee led him to the lights.

Meanwhile, Meta Knight was discussing his scenes with Bow and Conroy, who were always in the same one as him whenever they were supposed to be on stage.

"So after you say, "It burns" I'll be like, "Should've had the watery cap of anti-social awareness!"" Conroy explained. Meta Knight just sighed and shook his head.

"These lines aren't the best…"

Conroy made a face. "Well don't yell at me! I didn't write it!"

"I know, I know…"

"I actually hate it as much as you do! I'd rather have Luigi be this part…but I suppose he's fine as grass."

"Yeah, I can't believe I'm stuck in a kissing scene! I almost can't stand it!" Bow complained. "Not that you're _not_ dashing or anything, but it completely goes against all my morals!"

"Looks likes half of us are stuck doing things we don't want to do…except for Tails- he seems pretty fired up about being Stage Crew, which is highly ironic."

Bow looked thoughtful. "Mmm…you're right dear. You don't want to be the star, Conroy doesn't like his part, I'm not enjoying mine so much anymore…Luigi hates being grass, Malon doesn't want to sing, that Jerry character isn't liking his job either…that leaves Tails, Jackson, the Dayzee trio, Bunia, and Hayzee himself enjoying their parts! What're the odds?"

"I dunno, but I don't feel like thinking about it…" muttered Conroy.

"Well…we should at least try to do a good job…maybe we'll be better than Tayzee!" stated Meta Knight, attempting to be positive.

Conroy frowned. "Did you say Tayzee? Ugh, I hate him! I swear, his ego is so big, I bet he'd fall over with every step!"

"He's a little too full of himself if you ask me…" added Bow who began to fan herself again.

"Yeah, that scrap you guys got in the other day was wicked! You should've just let him have it- he was taking it to far!"

"Indeed."

Meta Knight narrowed his eyes. "Trust me, if he crosses the line again in any direction, he won't get away with it…especially if it has anything to do with Team Luigi!"

Conroy stood up, stretched, then sighed. "Ah, this rehearsing and loathing is really taking a toll. Imma get a doughnut…"

"We haven't even _done_ anything!"

.............

Prickle was suspiciously darting around the stage, hunting down Tayzee after being crushed by the curtain- again.

"That recent curtain crushing only fuels my hatred of that team even more…" grunted the first part.

"Well then we'd better find Tayzee and put this thing into action!"

"Quiet you! Do you want arouse suspicion?"

"Well, we're already running around quite conspicuously-"

"Shut up!"

"uh…something wrong there?" Jackson asked, now standing next to him. Prickle screamed and nearly jumped 5 feet away.

"Whoa where do you get off strolling up and scaring people like that!"

"I just wanted to know if-"

"Never mind that. Have you seen Tayzee today?"

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm-"

"Well?"

"No."

Prickle sighed angrily. "Thanks. Thanks a lot. Seen Mayzee or Layzee? C'mon, an evil plot rests on this!"

Jackson looked thoughtful. "Hmm…no, I haven't seen the Dayzee Trio at all. Ask Bunia! He always knows things like this!"

"Easy for you to say."

.....................

Jerry groaned as he pushed a large box of cloth and costume parts that was bigger than him onto center stage. Everyone noticed him coming and instantly ran over. Panting, he climbed onto the edge of the box to make himself seem taller, only to fall face first into a wig.

"uh…Jerry?" Malon began, grabbing his unusually long fuse and pulling him out.

"Grr! I hate this job! Why do I get stuck clothing people!"

"You could be a prop…" murmured Luigi darkly.

"Yeah? Nice. Anyway, the deal is, some of the costumes are done, some are torn, and some need to be put together from scratch."

"Whose are done?" pondered Conroy. Jerry groaned and dove back into the box.

"Well, Meta Knight's costume is obviously the mysterious Fiery Hat of Social Awareness-"

"Aka a red baseball cap with a lit candle sticking out of it…"

"Um, that's basically kinda it for the done costumes…heheheh…"

Everyone gave Jerry a glare as he continued to explain.

"W-Well the torn ones should be very easy to fix, you know…"

"And those costumes are…" gestured Mayzee, making her first appearance of the day.

"Hayzee's, Bow's, Conroy's, Jackson's, Prickle's, Bunia's, Blooey's, and kinda Malon's…then the Dayzee Trio doesn't need costumes, Tails and Torque are obviously stage crew, and Luigi already has a costume."

Luigi just made a face.

"Hm…that's an awful lot of costumes to fix…" Malon trailed.

"I'll break out my sewing kit!" squealed Bunia. He received several looks in response. "…what? A lot of guys sew!"

"Too bad they're not the manly ones…"

"Malon is right- that's a lot of costumes and we just don't have the time to do them _and_ rehearse!" Bow exclaimed.

"We still have plenty of time today- you could take up all day today doing the costumes, then kinda move around tomorrow's schedule!" Tails suggested.

Hayzee looked thoughtful. "That's just crazy enough to work…that might be…"

"Well let's get started!"

"I call glitter glue!" "Red felt!" "Sequins!" "Shot gun!" "Shot gun?"

Jerry yelped and escaped the box before everyone else started frantically digging into it, pulling out their costumes and things they needed. Hayzee oddly seemed the most eager to put things together, taking out a ton of red felt and thread.

"This requires delicate operation and assistance…" Hayzee began. "Who wants to help me?"

Luigi, Tayzee, Mayzee, and not so much Layzee were really the only ones available. Luigi attempted to escape, but Tayzee quickly grabbed his overall strap.

"What do you need us to do?" Mayzee asked.

Hayzee cracked his knuckles and picked up a pair of scissors. "While I make my costume, I need people to hand me random things. Are you up for the challenge? "

"Do we have to?" complained Layzee. Hayzee pulled a doctor's mask over his face and nodded.

"Yes. Yes you do." he began to work, bits of felt flying everywhere and landing on Luigi's mustache. "Sewing needle."

Tayzee handed it over.

"Staples."

Mayzee handled that.

"Cold lemonade."

"Why does everyone crave that?" questioned Luigi as Layzee nearly spilled it while handing it over. Hayzee shrugged, took a sip, then pondered over his creation.

"Um…oh! Very poisonous scorpion!"

"What!"

The Dayzee Trio instantly took a few steps back, Tayzee snorting to Luigi, "It's _your_ turn, you know!"

"Does it have to be this one?"

"I demand a scorpion!"

**One Scorpion Later-**

"Ow ouch owie!" Luigi moaned on the sidelines. "Why in the world did you need that?"

"To make sure you guys would get anything I needed. Now, Tayzee, I need a flamethrower."

"Roger that!"

After that, Hayzee was requesting various things such as a ball of yarn, rubber bands, a chainsaw, a tuna sandwich, Conroy, a snow cone, an "M" stamp, gold buttons, a black Sharpie, a faux mustache, pasta, a pillowcase, and an iPod. It was quite the costume. At long last, Hayzee stepped back as Tayzee, Mayzee, and Layzee admired what he had done. Luigi, on the other hand, was on the verge of fainting.

"Ah, the ultimate costume…" Hayzee breathed. "The Red Miracle…"

"Are you kidding me! I'm stuck as grass and you get to prance around in a Mario costume!" Luigi gaped. "That is so unfair on so many levels!"

Hayzee looked highly offended. "_Mario?_ Oh no! This is the costume of a man who is the mere definition of a hero! He is dashing, marvelous, brave, courageous, and incredibly skilled! The Red Miracle can only be defined as-"

_"Mario!"_

Hayzee gave Luigi another look as he gathered up his "not Mario" costume and walked off, iPod in hand. Luigi sighed and hung his head while the Dayzee Trio skipped off to practice their singing.

................

"Okay, how's this look?" Jackson asked, now donning a long brown detective coat, a black fedora, and a very conspicuous mustache. "How's THIS for Random Mysterious Guy in the Background?"

"I dunno…it looks a little overdone…" Conroy admitted.

"But it just SCREAMS "random"!"

"It screams "surreptitious", "suspicious" and "stupid" more."

"Fine! Criticize my costume! Wait until we see yours!"

Conroy gave a smug look and pulled out a cool outfit, which was a white t-shirt, a leather jacket, jeans (which were probably shorts for a Bumpity), and the ultimate piece de résistance…sunglasses!

"Oh come on! That should so be me!" complained Luigi. "Grass doesn't get shades…"

"Ah, if only you were me…" Conroy sighed, sliding the glasses on his face. Luigi smacked his head as Malon came running up.

"Aw, Luigi, you've gotta help me! I don't know what the heck I'm supposed to wear!"

Luigi gave a dry smile. "You could be like me and stay in your normal clothes because apparently some people just can't have costume- especially when they're cast as a prop based on their outfit!"

"Oh, you really need to get over it, Luigi. You're like Blooey and his tan!" she scoffed.

"All right, all right! Well, you're going to be a singer! Wear something…"singy".

"_Singy?_ That's the best you can come up with?" Luigi grinned and shrugged- Malon shook her head. "I should go ask Blooey-"

"No!" Jerry nearly roared, jumping out of nowhere and knocking Malon down. "If I'm stuck with this stupid job, then I'll be the only one you're going to answer to!"

"Okay! Just find me an outfit!"

Jerry looked disgusted. "It is not an **outfit**- it is a **costume**!"

"Whatever…"

Jerry, still highly offended, dove back into the costume box and grabbed out some way too flashy shiny black pop star outfit. Malon made a face. Jerry stopped her, then whistled for Bunia. Bunia zoomed over, Jerry whispered in his ear, and Luigi and Malon exchanged glances. Bunia let out a squeal and took the outfit to his portable sewing machine. With a few snips, sews, and a quirky sewing song, Bunia had whipped up an outfit that was Malon's soft and plain style, yet was unique in it's own way. It was similar to Link's tunic, only feminine and came with a stylish silver belt in the middle. Jerry dug in the box again and pulled out a black version of her boots and gave her a box of accessories. Malon grinned widely, thanked Jerry, and accepted the "costume".

"And you said singy…_please!" _Malon scoffed to Luigi before walking off. Luigi just stood off to the side, slack jawed. Bunia spun up to him in his costume, which he wasn't even supposed to have.

"The Masked Tornado strikes again!"

"Bunia! We told you no Zorro costume!" Jerry called. Bunia sighed and removed the cape, hat, and mask. Jerry gave a firm nod, then handed Conroy a tie that went with his suave outfit. "You know, when this whole adventure is over, I might become a designer or something!"

"Good luck with that, Jerry…" murmured Luigi.

"Hey! Maybe you can donate some coins, and I'll forget that you scarred me!"

"I need all my money to get another partner's hatred off my back, thank you very much…"

Jerry shrugged then began to situate Prickle with his evil costume- which, ironically, was like a Zorro costume. Bunia was driven mad.

"Ah, it just screams evil…and awesome!" Prickle chuckled, swirling the cape around. "By the way, has anyone seen Tayzee lately?"

"Yeah!" Luigi and Bunia piped up. "He helped Hayzee put together his costume, and then he headed back to his trailer."

"Mwhahahaha! Fool! You've put yourself at your own demise!" Prickle cackled. Luigi, Jerry, and Bunia stared at him until Tails suddenly called out, "FORE!"

Everyone but Prickle hit the floor, and Prickle was hit by Tails' Screwdriver. Tails ran up and snagged the tool.

"Sorry, sorry! Man, you always seem to be in my line of fire…" Tails realized.

Prickle just wheezed and said he'd be in his trailer.

"I _said_ sorry! Torque had a malfunction!"

Torque then strolled up, with his trademark torque back in place. "C'mon Tails! There's still a bit to finish…"

Tails shrugged. "No problem! We'll have it done in two hours if we keep working like this! Let's slow down a little!"

"I suppose…I have been meaning to talk to Blooey, but I don't think I've really seen him today…anyone?"

"I have!" cried Jerry, now helping Jackson with his costume- again. "We were discussing grilled cheese, and then I was called to do my job, and he plum disappeared!"

"Plum disappeared?"

"It's a phrase…"

Luigi perked up. "Hey! That's one less hater!"

"Luigi!" Tails snapped. Luigi threw up his hands in defense.

"Kidding! Besides, Malon loves that squid for some reason…"

"What about me?" Malon asked, now showing off her costume with Meta Knight by her side. She was brushing the hair out her face and Meta Knight didn't seem as distant as usual. Luigi, Jerry, Tails, Torque, Bunia, and Jackson exchanged glances. Jackson took his revamped costume and stalked off muttering, "Time to go…"

"Aw, nutin-" Torque started to say.

"yeah, we weren't talking about how mad and upset you'd be if Blooey was gone!" added Tails in a high pitched voice.

"What!"

Tails flushed as everyone besides Malon and Meta Knight gave him a look. Right before Malon went to call the FBI and several other teams of finding force, Luigi grabbed her arm and calmed her down.

"Blooey isn't gone…it's just that no one's seen him all day!"

"That's still an emergency!" squalled Malon. "It's not like him to stay out of sight with that mouth his, you all should know that!"

"Then why choose him for a partner?" questioned Meta Knight absently.

"Well, he did save me from that crazed spider while Luigi just stood around and screamed-"

"Hey!"

"-and…well, does anyone like Blooey?"

More glances were exchanged. Luigi stopped himself from shaking his head, Tails gave a "so-so" sign with his hand, Meta Knight shrugged, Bunia's eyes widened and shook his head, Torque said, "kinda", and Jerry sighed.

"Well…I suppose he is my best friend…"

"And why?" Malon asked, mocking Meta Knight's tone. Said knight gave her a look.

"He's…entertaining?"

Malon just folded her arms. "Well, for whatever reason I chose Blooey, I did, and with that decision, he became my Soul Partner!"

"He was cool before I dunked him in lava…" Luigi mused.

"So it's your fault he's a jerk?"

"No!"

"Stop talking about Blooey behind his back and let's go find him!"

Team Luigi grunted, "Okay…" with Meta Knight and Bunia tagging along.

...........

Blooey, during this entire time, went on a hunt for a bathroom and ended up getting lost for hours. As we speak, he ended up near the trailers, and saw Prickle slinking up toward the second trailer. Blooey darted behind a tree and peeked around.

"Well THAT isn't suspicious! Looks like it's time for the Once-White Torpedo to spring back into action!" he whispered to himself, torpedoing toward the window.

"Knocking and entering!" Prickle nearly blared. Tayzee, who was eagerly reading his script again, screamed and bounced off his bed.

"What do you want? I've already had one guy threaten me- I don't need another!"

Prickle smirked. "Oh, I'm not here to threaten you- I'm actually here to make…a bit of a deal…one that involves you and fame!"

Tayzee suddenly became highly interested. "Really…"

"Mm-hmm. I can get a good word in for you to Hayzee if you do me one little favor…

"Which would be…?"

Prickle leaned slightly closer to Tayzee. "Well, you know how you have a just a bit of a grudge on Team Luigi-"

"Gah, did Meta Knight send you? I didn't provoke them today- I swear!"

Prickle made a confused face. "…what? No- I just want you to tell Malon she's bad singer, which will lower her confidence, send her running, and the entire team will follow! Then, you and me can be the stars of the show!"

"I dunno…Meta Knight seemed pretty serious when he told me to leave them alone. It's been hard enough to avoid them all day!"

"Listen, if ol' Meta Knight tries to give you any of his threat junk, I'll take care of it! I just want Team Luigi out of the picture, don't you?"

Tayzee nodded. "Yeah. It would make things easier…"

"Then just do it! You get what you want, I get what I want, and we both benefit in the end."

"Perhaps…but how will telling Malon she's a terrible singer crush her?"

Prickle narrowed his eyes. "She has a rather beautiful voice, but she refuses to sing due to fear of someone giving her negative input…if you're the one to do it, she'll break instantly!"

"But why can't_ you_ do it?"

"It'd be too suspicious…" he sighed while shaking his head. "Why with all the questions Tayzee? Can't _you_ just do it?"

Tayzee went into deep thought for a long time. "…okay. I'll do it. It seems **pointless** and **stupid**, but I'll do it. Something goes wrong with your end of the bargain at anytime, I swear I will call up my cousin Amazy and-"

"Easy, easy! Everything is under control! Just do it as soon as possible!"

"I can't do_ that_!" Tayzee protested. "I can't just waltz up and say, "'Oh, hey, Malon, your singing sucks!" out of nowhere, you know! I need the right moment!"

Prickle began to leave. "Fine, fine. Just be sure to do it…"

Tayzee gave Prickle a hard stare before pretending to be asleep after that.

Blooey, having seen everything, yelped and fell from his spying spot and eagerly ran for his team.

.................

"Hey, there's Blooey!" Bunia called as the actors began to clear things out. Blooey was just now running in, looking quite frazzled.

"Oh Blooey! Where have you been all day?" Malon asked.

"Never mind that!" Blooey answered quickly, not wanting to tell about her getting lost because of a bathroom break. "I was spying- er, eavesdropping, er, um, _happened to learn_ that Tayzee and Prickle have a plan to ruin us!"

GASP.

Luigi's head spun. "Wha…"

"Yeah, Tayzee's gonna tell Malon she's bad singer when Prickle clearly stated she actually quite talented, just to get revenge on us, and he'll only do it if Prickle manages to boost Tayzee's fame!"

"But what would Prickle gain from that?" questioned Tails. "We don't even know him, let alone have done enough to make him do something like that!"

"Well, you HAVE hit him with stage items several times, Tails-"

"By accident! And he said it was fine…"

"Hm…quite puzzling…" muttered Meta Knight darkly. "Looks like I'll need to have a little talk with Tayzee."

"No! You can't! Tayzee told Prickle about some threat you gave and Prickle…well, I dunno, but he's definitely got something planned…" Blooey continued.

"What do you know? We start talking about Blooey behind his back and in the end he doe something right!"

"That's right- wait a minute, WHAT? I bet it was Luigi's fault!"

Luigi instantly flinched while Malon grabbed Blooey out of the air. "Easy there, sport. The only one talking about you was me, and it certainly wasn't anything bad."

"Hmph!"

"What we should talk about is this…plan of theirs! It certainly has nothing to do with the play, that's for sure!"

"Ooh! Speaking of, I heard Hayzee's going to take dress rehearsal to the extreme tomorrow, and it'll be nothing but the play all day tomorrow! We'd better be ready! Though I kinda liked seeing the costumes…"

"Tails?"

"Yeah?"

"Off topic."

"Sorry."

Malon shrugged. "Simple. I know he doesn't really mean what he says, I'll be ready to counter him, and when Meta Knight goes to confront him, he'll have us for back up!"

"Yeah…what was that all about a threat?" Luigi asked, sliding a glance toward Meta Knight. Meta Knight gave him one in return.

"I said I had business…"

"Which was?"

"If Tayzee messed with you or your team ever again, he'd have to answer to me."

"_Why?_ We even went over how violence wasn't the answer and everything!"

"Yes, but it is a solution-"

"Ooh! Just…why waste your talents on us? We aren't worth it!"

"Why would one waste time living when there may not be something to look forward to?"

"Oh, you and your profound speech!"

Meta Knight simply shrugged. "Perhaps I'll let you in on my intentions when the time calls for it. Regardless, I say we wrap up today once and for all…it's been rather long, hasn't it?"

Meta Knight slightly hesitated, but wrapped his cape around him so fast he disappeared in a spark of light. Luigi and the partners gaped while Malon and Tails glanced at each other.

"He always was a mysterious one…"

"It makes me wonder why he never teleported anywhere else before- especially when he never liked his world…"

To break the sudden dark aura that loomed above their heads, Hayzee ran up, looking peppish and excited.

"Ooh! I can't wait for tomorrow! I guess you could say we really get _playing_ then!"

Everyone smiled lightly at Hayzee's humor- even though it was at Link standards. Hayzee even pulled out the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness and went to plop it on Meta knight's head, but he was gone.

"Where'd my star go?"

"Probably in the trailer…" Luigi said. "But don't worry- we'll certainly be ready for anything by tomorrow!"

"Isn't that the truth…" murmured Tails, Jerry, and Torque in unison.

* * *

**....**

**"What?" you, the reader, ask.**

**T****ncid...**

**"Ahem?"**

**Thnxtchptrsn'tdn...**

**"...one more time?"**

**THE NEXT CHAPTER ISN'T DONE! *gaps, slams hands over mouth***

**"Le gasp! Why ever so?"**

**Because I fell behind in typing PLX, and usually this wouldn't be a problem, but since I'm a _weekly_ updater, it's actually more problematic than you think.**

**"How can this be? What were you DOING all week?"**

**Workin' on my Sonic Unleashed adaption, despite the fact it's only my third priority.**

**"..."**

**HEY! I was having Writer's Boom (opposite of Writer's Block)!**

**"Will there be a chapter next week?"**

**There's a 99% chance of yes if I really get cranking...but if it's that 1% chance, then there won't be a chapter next week, and probably two the week after, m'kay? Sorry about that...**

**"Aw, that's okay! I KNOW you'll finish in time! You're the greatest! :D"**

**...no pressure there...**


	31. That's a Wrap!

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 30: That's a Wrap!

As the next day of play preparation came around, everyone apparently had missions. Tayzee wanted to do what he was asked, but with Meta Knight looming around the corners like that, it was no wonder why he was scared. Luigi, Malon, and Tails were on the alert, Hayzee was eager to see how his play was currently coming together, Meta Knight was hunting down Prickle rather than Tayzee, and well…everyone else was just going to go with the flow on this one.

"Ooh! Can we do Scene 5 first? Please!" Mayzee asked Hayzee, who was in his "Red Miracle" costume.

"No! We must do this in an orderly fashion!" Hayzee deduced, adjusting the mustache of his costume. "Now, since some of you worked together already on certain Scenes-excluding Scene 5- we'll probably be working on those and we'll build up from there. Any objections, besides from Mayzee?"

Mayzee made a face as Luigi danced around, waving his hands to the extreme.

"Do I really have to be grass?"

"Yes."

"Oh…this is SO nerve-racking!" complained Malon. Blooey patted her.

"No worries! We can always wing it again!"

"Order people, order! We're taking this from the top!" Hayzee announced. "This means, we'll be starting with Scene 1. Meta Knight, Bow, Conroy, Prickle and Tails, get into position!"

The five nodded and rushed to their spots- Meta Knight teleporting away, Tails backstage, and Bow, Conroy, and Prickle behind the prop door, awaiting their soon-to-be cue. Hayzee asked if Luigi wanted to lie next to the door, but Luigi protested with "They wouldn't even see me then!"

"Okay…take one! ACTION!"

Inside the pastel yellow painted house, Meta Knight suddenly teleported onto the stage and raised his arms, cuing Tails to turn on the smoke screen from dramatic effect. He turned to the "audience", which was currently all the actors who currently weren't…acting.

"…I really need to paint this house a different color. It really makes a room…socially aware, I suppose."

Hayzee wiped away a tear. "This play is going to be _beautiful!"_

Meta Knight (mentally sighing) turned and walked down some prop stairs, ending up in a "basement".

"I prefer the darkness of this basement, to tell the truth…"

Tails, friskily glancing at his script, quickly dimmed the lights then flew up and directed a spotlight on the chest containing the primary object of the play.

Meta Knight feinted surprise as the chest just _now_ popped into his sight. He bent down and started digging in the chest. "Hm…interesting. Oh, here I kneel, digging in his chest. What will I find? What will I find? Hopefully something for the best…" He cringed behind his mask as he pulled out the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness- as you remember is only a red cap with a lit candle on top. "Hark! What is this I hold in my hands! Could it be a Fiery Hat of Social Awareness! ?"

"CUE MALON!"

Prickle gave Tayzee and glare from his spot on the stage. Tayzee, sitting in audience gave a fearful finger across the throat, signalizing now wasn't the time.

Also, nothing happened.

"…oh wait, **THAT'S** the cue!" Malon could be heard calling from backstage. "How am I supposed to remember when to jump out during the real play? You can't exactly wail that out anytime you feel like!"

Hayzee looked nervous, scrambling for answer, until Meta Knight sighed and rolled his eyes. "You practically can't miss it- every time I or someone else randomly shout "Fiery Hat of Social Awareness" you fly out of nowhere, do a musical number, then disappear. Just remember that."

Malon grinned and gave Meta Knight a thumb up. "Okay! All right…just…redo that, m'kay?"

"Ahem…_Hark!_ What is this I hold in my hands? Could it be a FIERY HAT OF SOCIAL AWARENESS!"

Malon and Blooey skipped out, preparing for their line. Malon gave Luigi a glance, and he gave her a nod in return.

_"Here goes nothing…"_

She started swaying her hips a little, then broke out into her angelic voice. "There's a hat of fiery that's aware socially…"

With Blooey- "Yeah no lie! No lie!

"A burning desire in the form of a cap, but…could it be…a trap?"

Murmurs of "Oh MAN she's good…" rushed through the crowd, Tayzee becoming instantly jealous. She was not better than him and his trio! Malon giggled then darted off stage as fast as she appeared.

Meta Knight placed the hat on his head, then tried his best to act like he gained some new 6th sense and realized someone was headed for the door. Apparently, he failed.

"**META KNIGHT!"** Hayzee blared through the megaphone. "Try to act more…_alert_ when you become social aware. Maybe we can get Tails to make multicolored lights to shine around!"

Tails suddenly poked down from the ceiling. "Can't. All the strobes are burned out!"

Hayzee clapped his hands. "Quick! Jerry! Go buy us some strobes!"

"Why me? I handled all the costumes yesterday!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact you're the prop guy! Now chop chop!" Jerry grumbled something as he told Jackson to hit the background music. Prickle snickered silently to himself as Jackson turned it on, and Caramelldansen started playing.

Several people started screaming "OH GOOD WAFFLES-TURN IT OFF!" while others- Bunia especially- started doing the dance associated with said song. Hayzee angrily flew out of his chair, stomped over the stereo, glanced at Jackson who flinched, then turned to the rest of the actors.

"Who swapped the CDs? I know that goodie-gumdrop track was _not_ on my "The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness" soundtrack!"

Everyone glanced around nervously, but no one gave themselves away. Hayzee folded his arms, eyes narrowed and directed at everybody. He pulled out an extra CD from nowhere, still glaring at the world.

"Well, we'll let this one mishap slide, but if anything happens again, I'll bring out my Red Miracle hammer!"

"Don't you mean _Mario's_ hammer?" Luigi put in curtly.

"I told you it's not Mario!" Hayzee regained his composed, return to his seat, had Jackson turn on the correct music, then directed Meta Knight to continue.

"All right…we left off right as Meta Knight became socially aware. And…action-"

"Oh my gosh- _I'm socially aware now!" _Meta Knight gasped in falsetto, causing the members of Team Luigi plus Conroy, Jackson, and Bunia to start snorting uncontrollably.

"That is** not **what I meant, Meta Knight…"

Meta Knight surppressed a laugh. "Um…sorry. Sorry…"

"Take…what is this now? 3? 4?"

"3 and a half?"

"Shush Tails…"

Meta Knight coughed, then once again turned to the door dramatically. "I sense something beyond the door!"

As if on cue, as they probably were, Conroy, Bow, and Prickle were supposed to calmly enter, but instead, Conroy opened the door as hard as he possibly could and blasted out, "We're baaaaaaaaack!"

He was hit in the face with a tomato, thrown by Hayzee.

"That was completely uncalled for!" another hit him in the shoulder. "I WAS KIDDING! Sheesh, who twisted _your_ vine…"

Hayzee just sighed- this job was so stressful. "Okay…again…"

Meta Knight sweat dropped and meekly turned toward the door again. This time, Bow made a dramatic entrance, fanning herself, Conroy sulked for his entrance, and Prickle donned a black cape, a top hat, and a monocle. Think Count Bleck with a dark outfit.

"Prickle that is not your costume."

"I know, but it's so fetchingly** evil**! I just had to kind of get into character, you know?"

"You can't make it obvious to everyone that you're evil, you know!"

"Well there's no time to change now, so let's just roll with it!"

"Fine, fine…action!"

Again, Conroy, Bow, and Prickle entered the door.

"Hey-" began Conroy.

"Augh! The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness! IT BURNS!"

"Should've have the watery cap of anti-social awareness, huh?"

"...Oh, that's just so TERRIBLE!"

"CUT!"

"I'm sorry! I hate that line!"

"And like I said, every line put into this play is pure GOLD! People eat this kind of corny stuff right up! Because it's so corny, it's edible!"

"Or so cheesy it can be grilled…" snickered Tails to Torque.

"Roll it!"

"Uh….AUGH! The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness! IT BURNS!"

"…Should've had the water cap of anti-social awareness…_Huh?…"_

Meta Knight swallowed the urge to rebel again as Bow exclaimed, "Oh my! What a mystery!"

Wow she hated her role.

"Hm…that hat seems to have socially aware powers! I should totally steal it and claim its abilities to be mine! Waahahahahaha-ork ork- cough hack, urm…hahaha!"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait…" Tayzee said, stopping the process. "This is stupid! He suddenly puts the hat on, his friends arrive completely unannounced, then the hat randomly burns the guy, and now we've got some evil nut spewing out his plan this early in the play? LAME! At least it'll be worth it when we get to scene 5..."

"HEY! I know what I'm doing! And though it appears quite choppy now, things will make sense starting in the next scene, and maybe the next 4! Now be like Layzee and don't do anything!"

"I find that insulting Hayzee!"

"Sorry. ACTION!"

…………

"Ah, I'm so glad I don't have the trouble of worrying about the director…" Tails sighed happily, watching Scene 2 start to unfold from backstage. Luigi was cast at the entrance of a sidewalk, while Meta Knight, Bow, Conroy, and Prickle casually walked in front of him. Jackson, meanwhile, was fulfilling his part darting around suspiciously in the background. Meta Knight was socially aware of him and instantly jumped into the background to tackle the mysterious stalker. Tails threw in a smoke ball for dramatic fight emphasis and chuckled.

"I love this job…"

He crackled his knuckles and flew up into the air to the higher part of the stage. Torque, meanwhile, started managing things back on the lower part. Currently, Jackson was explaining himself to Meta Knight while Prickle was going in to snag the hat…which Tails had to conveniently stop by dropping a sandbag on his head.

"I hope he doesn't suffer too much trauma from this…"

Meanwhile, Luigi was lying on the floor, trying hard not to stare as the play played out- apparently grass wasn't allowed to at least watch what was going on.

"What's next? Are they going to need to step on me or something!"

"…and I'll order a breadstick or two."

"I'll probably get the soup."

"We can't sit in the smoker's section. I'll be too aware of the horrid scents…"

Luigi smacked his face into the floor. It was still a pretty terrible script- but still, he wished he was saying them.

. . . . . . . .

"Ooh…Tayzee! I don't know my lines!" Mayzee nearly screamed, just softly enough so that Hayzee wouldn't hear. They were sitting in one of the more front rows, getting the most of the rehearsal. Tayzee turned around and gave her a horrified look as Layzee yawned and said he didn't either.

"I just really wasn't into it…"

"And I was too busy spending my night on the town! Have you TASTED their chocolate?"

Tayzee growled and hit Mayzee with his own script. "Great…while you let chocolate eat away your rehearsing time, we're going to go up there, and then you're going to make us look like idiots! And not only that- but Malon will practically upstage us! What do you think about that!"

"I don't really care-"

"WELL YOU SHOULD! You wanna hit it big, you've gotta do big. Not become big by stuff your face full of fudge, girl!"

**Scene 3-**

"…and that's why I can't eat this! It was obviously made with _squash!" _Meta Knight shouted angrily to a waiter puppet that Tails was controlling. "You can't have squash in a **tomato** soup!"

"How can you possibly know something like that!" Bow exclaimed frantically.

"Because it's this stupid hat, I tell you!"

"HIT IT, MALON !"

"I think I know!"

Malon came skidding out again, did her little number, then cart wheeled off the stage. Prickle noticed they were getting closer and closer to the end of rehearsal, and Tayzee wasn't carrying out the plan. He sent Tayzee a warning glance, with Tayzee returned with a nervous sweat drop, since he was having his own problems.

"This hat has a lot of power…I must use this ability for good!"

"Then next time, don't offend a waiter for putting squash in tomato soup!" cackled Conroy.

"Oh, someone help me…"

**Scene 4-**

Meta Knight was now alone, sitting in his now darkened living room. He heard a shatter, then got up to see what was happening. He was definitely aware of something. Suddenly, he was knocked out, and he felt the hat being lifted off his head.

"Meeeork ork- COUGH! Er, hm, quite the bug today…"

"FORGET IT, PRICKLE…"

"Aw, now you ruined my dramatic entrance!"

"JUST GET ON WITH IT!"

"Psh, fine… *insert non-Fuzzy sounding evil laugh* the Fiery Hat is now mine! Ooooooo! What great secrets will it reveal! ?"

Prickle placed the red fire hat on his head and laughed manically again. Meta Knight cover his eyes and tried to avoid the horror.

"Ork! I mean, eh-wahahahaha? I'm now socially aware! Take that! Now I can use this power for evil or something!"

Prickle then jumped out a completely different window than the one he randomly entered from. Meta Knight remained on the floor, crying out, "Oh no, looks like we really need some hero-"

"HEY META KNIGHT! Say that line with feeling, or so help me…"

"Uh… OH NO! Looks like we need a man who is the mere definition of a hero! One who is dashing, marvelous, brave, courageous, and incredibly skilled! Oh, where can we find such a hero…"

**Scene 5-**

The curtains fell then rose (somehow being controlled by Torque) and Meta Knight was sitting on a bench (with Luigi lying next to it). Bow was sitting next to him, Conroy was trying to cheer him up with jokes, and Tayzee, Mayzee, and Layzee were humming in the background, getting ready for their time.

"It's all my fault…I should've fought for that hat!"

Bow patted Meta Knight. "Don't worry about it- it's not your fault one of your closest friends betrayed you!"

"You, my friend…your Fiery Hat of Social Awareness is a rather hot topic, isn't it? ISN'T IT! No wonder it is no longer in thy possession!" Conroy snickered. "But who knows…a red angel may come down from the sky and save it!" Meta Knight sighed. Tayzee started tapping his foot while Mayzee and Layzee exchanged looks of uncertainty.

"A hero…will come to save you…" Tayzee began, praying that Mayzee and Layzee wouldn't screw anything up. "He will arrive beside you, or sneak up behind you, but he is sure to come!"

"Uh…when you're in need of help, um…he's sure to show up for a whelp?" Mayzee sang.

"I have no idea what I'm sayin' so I'll just make something up! Now I'm probably going to get yelled at but at least this weird little rap is fat!" added Layzee, who began to break-dance.

"CUT! MAYZEE! LAYZEE!" shouted Hayzee, although out of sight. "You two have no idea what you're doing, do you?"

The duo nervously shook their heads.

"Grrrr…you've got a day and a half to get these lines memorized, so I expect that you get chopping tonight!"

"Yeah…" "Sorry…"

"For now, I'm sure Tayzee knows what the lines are, so he'll sing the whole song…for now!"

Mayzee and Layzee nodded solemnly as Tayzee looked bold and proud.

"Ahem… here I go again! Remember- my name is** Tayzee**-"

"JUST SING!" shouted several other actors who were tired of Tayzee's vanity. Tayzee gave an offended look then proceeded to sing.

"A hero…will come to save you…he will arrive beside you, or sneak up behind you, but he is sure to come!" he took a few steps forward and stuck a pose. Blooey, out of sight and next to Malon, just snorted.

"ha! He's nothing in comparison to us!"

Malon smirked. "…which makes this all the more interesting…"

"A miracle in the form of a hero…hope in the shape of a man…if this pride from above won't be able to help you, then pretty much no one can!"

Mayzee and Layzee were looking pretty ashamed, Meta Knight, Conroy and Bow glared at Tayzee, Prickle, from wherever he was, was trying to send some telepathic message to get on with the plan, and everyone else just gave looks of disgust. And Tayzee was very socially aware then.

"Red will be your favorite color- you won't love another! He descends from the sky- he's a great kind of guy! You never saw him coming- isn't he amazing? Just look…and see- his halo is spherical! It's…the Red…MIRACLE!"

"AUGH! MY EARS!" "The high pitched-ness is like a scraping chalkboard of my brain!" "MAKE IT STOP!"

"Hmph! Everyone is a critic…" Tayzee growled.

"Pretty pathetic, huh Tayzee?" Malon threw in, eyes sparkling with cockiness. Tayzee sent her a dark look, just about screaming "You're in for it later…"

Meanwhile, Tails and Torque were straining to lower Hayzee in his "not Mario" costume from the ceiling, but it was pretty hard when he was insistent on flying around like a jet plane.

"I am the Red Miracle! Here to return the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness back to you! And maybe figure out the mystery too!" Hayzee stated in a large, booming voice. And that was without the microphone. He landed on the ground, Tails and Torque panting from the physical pain they had endured.

"Oh, my arms…" "We have to do that two MORE times! ?"

Meta Knight acted out a gasp. "Hark! You've answered my prayers! Will you save my Fiery Hat?"

"But of course! I AM the Red Miracle after all!"

"Oh PLEASE-"

"Grass doesn't talk, Luigi! Anyway…" Hayzee coughed to get back into character. "That fiend won't know what hit him when I take back the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness!"

"Da na…" started Blooey, jumping out with Malon. "Here we go again!"

Malon burst out in song once more. "There's a hat of fiery that's aware socially…"

With Blooey- "Yeah no lie! No lie!"

"A burning desire in the form of a cap, how'd it get lost in this mishap?"

"I can't believe it!" wailed Blooey. "Oh woah whoa no…"

"It better be saved before the power that's craved gets abused, and used, until the mystery is raved! Oh! The Red Miracle will save the day- the bad guy's going down either way!"

As Malon started pulling off some dance moves, Prickle, from backstage, threw something at the back of Tayzee's head. Tayzee turned around and frowned as Prickle mouthed, "Now's perfect."

Malon- "Who will take him down?"

Blooey-"No one!"

"Will he bring the bad guy around?"

"He's as good as done!"

"That Fiery Hat WILL be found!"

"Then we'll all have some fun!"

Tails was going crazy with rainbow lights up ahead, and was getting ready to work on the strobes. Malon and Blooey were in perfect sync with their steps. Hayzee was incredibly impressed, Luigi wished he wasn't just lying on the floor at the spectacle of amazement, Mayzee and Layzee were even more irritated, and everyone besides Tayzee and somewhat Prickle were getting ready to ask Malon for an autograph. When the number ended, Prickle was fed up.

"Do it, already!" he shouted, stomping right up to Tayzee and staring him down.

"I-I-I can't…"

"Fine! Turn down all your fame just because you're a chicken!"

"Um, may I be so kind to ask as to why you're interrupting my time in rehearsal?" Malon asked sweetly, an innocent gleam in her eyes. Prickle growled at Tayzee as Tayzee turned and gave Malon a sharp gaze.

"I interrupted so the rest of the world wouldn't have to hear you're horrible singing, that's what!"

Malon was still for a moment. Then, she fell over laughing.

"That was your big moment to try and ruin me! ? You're ever more pathetic that I thought!"

Tayzee and Prickle were both taken aback. "Wait…WHAT! ?"

Malon was laughing so hard she was crying and having trouble breathing, while Meta Knight, Tails, Luigi (until he was told by Hayzee to get back on the floor), Blooey, Jerry, and Torque stepped up and prepared to take on the deceitful duo. Said duo exchanged terrified glances.

"How the…what…_why?" _stammered Prickle. Meta Knight unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Tayzee.

"That still counts, even though she was expecting it, you know…"

"What are you, some kind of cop? What are you going to arrest me for- unattempted murder?"

Meta Knight advanced toward Tayzee until Prickle stepped in-between the two of them. He grabbed Meta Knight sword (by using the midair method most armless characters have) and tossed it to the ground.

"Let's take it slow for a moment, huh?"

"YOU JERK!" Blooey shouted, flying right for Prickle. Malon instantly stopped laughing.

"Blooey! You can't hit spiky enemies!"

"Oooooo Right-OW!"

"I can!" Tails threw in, conking Prickle in the head with both his screwdriver and wrench. "Now THAT was on purpose!"

While Tails and somewhat Blooey attempted to take out Prickle, Tayzee tried to sneak away, but Meta Knight grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. Tayzee turned white.

"I might not be able to fight without my sword…" he began, reeling back a fist. "…but I can at least still punch."

Next thing Tayzee knew, he was flying across the stage, catching the attention of the other actors.

"Aw cool! They're wailing on Tayzee!" cheered Conroy. "I mean, uh, how inappropriate…aw, who cares!"

He charged in, whacking the Dayzee with his tie, Bow joined in with her fans, and Bunia started spinning around out of pure excitement. Hayzee looked on in pure horror as everyone broke out into a rumble. Malon first started boot bashing Prickle (oddly receiving 9 different pitches of screams) and then whipped out her flute and started madly playing.

"The British are coming!" wailed Jerry for no apparent reason, taking off across the stage. Luigi attempted to get up again, but Hayzee, despite being in pure shock, made sure he stayed down. Torque used his tools to hurt Prickle alongside Tails, who was almost thinking about pulling the curtain down again.

"Your stupid plan completely and utterly backfired!" screamed Tayzee, running from an angry mob and bypassing Prickle. Prickle just groaned and tried to fend off the beatings. Eventually he found a means to escape, and soon enough, he was running next to Tayzee. Tails came out of nowhere and did a very deadly kick to both of them, sending them flying, then Malon did a backward flip and kicked both of them, followed by Meta Knight swinging his now-returned sword.

"Know. My. Power."

…and ultimately Tayzee and Prickle stumbled and tripped over Luigi.

"Way to go Luigi!" Malon and Tails cheered as their rival fell defeated. Luigi finally got up and gave a thumbs up.

"Uh…yay…"

They exchanged a three way high five and grins as Meta Knight walked up and silently stared. Tails noticed him and held out his hand. Meta Knight just looked at it.

"…well, don't leave me hanging!"

"Huh?"

"It's a high five! You know, where you slap your hand against mine?"

Meta Knight, completely not used to the gesture, awkwardly slapped Tails' hand who gave a thumbs up afterward.

"You did good too, Meta Knight!" Malon exclaimed, heading over with the rest of Team Luigi.

"Yeah! We sure showed them!" boasted Jerry.

"ha! You were running around screaming about something British!" snorted Torque.

The rest of the actors stood around behind the team as Tayzee and Prickle stood back up.

"Ugh…that didn't go very well…"

"What just happened?" Hayzee questioned, not really sure what to make out of the situation.

"They were plotting to sabotage Malon by ruining her confidence!" yelped Tails.

"Which has been completely boosted, since it looks like everyone really likes me!" chuckled Malon.

"And I had told Tayzee to stop harassing Team Luigi, but of course he didn't listen…" Meta Knight murmured.

"…I was being grass…" finished Luigi. Everyone else nodded in agreement- despite the fact they had no idea what they were talking about. Hayzee just sighed and grabbed his head.

"Urgh, I suppose we've rehearsed enough for today." he glared at Mayzee and Layzee. "And some people need extra time to learn their lines! I guess it's a good place to stop."

Everyone sighed in relief.

"Tomorrow's rehearsal should be much easier now!" Malon said happily.

"It better be- the actual play is two days from now!" Hayzee exclaimed.

"Man, I suddenly feel really exhausted…" Conroy complained, Jackson nodding in agreement.

"We didn't even get to my scene yet…" pouted Bunia.

"Which is good, since it's the kissing scene…" murmured Bow under her breath from behind her fan.

"Can we go get chocolate Luigi?" Tails asked frantically, tugging on the plumber's sleeve. "You promised, remember?"

"Yeah, but now I'm all tired from rehearsal-"

"What! How can you be tired from lying on the floor? !"

"It takes a LOT out of you, you know…" Tails frowned. "Maybe tomorrow- no matter what, we won't leave until you some chocolate, okay?"

"Oh-kay…but I find it going against all my morals."

As they headed back to the trailer, Malon skipping next to them (and the partners on a hunt for a delicious dinner of…fried chicken), Meta Knight stayed behind and silently watched.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

"What exactly happened, Tayzee?" Mayzee asked, once the trio was back in the trailer. The others hadn't arrived yet, and Tayzee was trying to get as much recovery as possible.

"I made an agreement for fame in exchange for taking out Team Luigi but it failed big time. That's all I've got to say about it…"

"You must suck then for getting beat up like that!" snickered Layzee, half-sleeping with his script on his face. Tayzee was getting ready to retort, until the rest of the cast entered and proceeded to beat up Tayzee again just because they could. Mayzee nervously scooted away and started studying her own script.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"What's going to happen to us now?"

"Yeah, Team Luigi's still in it for the long run, and now we look like idiots."

"Shut up! It's not over yet!"

"I think it is- we've pretty much done all we can do…"

"We suck anyway."

"…just. Shut. up."

. . . . . . . .. . . . . .

"Tayzee is such a loser!" Malon sang as she practically floated onto her bed. "Did you see his face when I started cracking up?"

"No, because I was on the floor…" muttered Luigi.

"Look on the Brightside! If you weren't cast as grass, they would've gotten away!"

"I suppose…"

Malon sighed happily and went to sleep, Luigi attempting to do so also. Tails, on the other hand, was wrapped up in his tails thinking about nothing but chocolate. Suddenly, Meta Knight teleported in out of nowhere, holding something in his hand.

"Meta-" Tails started to say until Meta Knight gave a silencing gesture. He handed Tails the object in question then glided off to his corner. Bunia happened to be there, so he picked up the Spunia and placed him back in bed. Tails felt the object several times before nearly squealing out in happiness- it was genuine Jazzafrazz Town chocolate.

"Thank you, Meta Knight!" he whispered excitedly. Meta Knight, of course, said nothing. Now satisfied for the moment, it was easier for Tails to fall asleep.

And Luigi happened to be awake to witness it all.

* * *

**What's this? Instead of having a no-update week, we've got a DOUBLE UPDATE! ? What happened? **

**Long story short: I work hard to get next chapter done. This chapter got done. Then I compared the PLX chapters I'm going to write with the ones already written in PMX to get all the dates right and things matched up. Well, it turned out I had one more PLX chapter than I needed (which happened to be this one) and so it was either a double update this week, or have these two chapters next Friday, the chapter after on SAturday (because it's Boss Weekend next week-and Natalie's birthday) and the actual boss chapter on Sunday- which pushes the Eclair chapter to the 4th (which is my brother's birthday- odd coincidence) and throws everything out of whack. **

**So short story made slightly longer than necessary, you've got the chapter this week AND the double update! This calls for grilled cheese! :D**


	32. Once More With Feeling

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 31: Once More with Feeling

The events of the day before ranged from incredibly god-awful to simply fantastic. Tayzee and Prickle got a complete beat down, but what was Hayzee going to do about it today? And then there was everyone else…

"OKAY!" Hayzee blared through his megaphone, once everyone had awakened and assembled. "Today we're mainly going to focus on Scenes 5-7 today, since we didn't really touch on those yesterday, and I hope today we don't have any unnecessary outbursts. Everyone okay with that?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good! We'll officially start in about an hour so everyone can brush up on their scripts!"

"…I don't like him when he's in director mode-"

"Heard that. Get to work."

Luigi, finishing up a waffle, lightly dabbed away the excess syrup with a napkin before standing up and joining his usual group. Malon and Blooey were singing and dancing around happily, Tails and Torque were tuning up a few props, and Jerry was helping Meta Knight with his costume- which was only the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness.

"Did everyone eat?" he asked, remembering what his teacher taught him in kindergarten- always start the day with a good breakfast!

"I had Waffles." "I had Pancakes." "I had French Toast." "I had chocolate."

Luigi eyed Tails suspiciously. "Chocolate? For breakfast?"

"Oh! I, uh, I mean chocolate cereal! You know, Cocoa Crunches…or something…"

"…okay…"

Tails gave a contagious grin, finally getting Luigi to back down. Meanwhile, Bow floated up to Meta Knight, looking very perplexed.

"Uh, Jerry? Can I speak to Meta Knight for a moment?" Bow asked.

"I'm trying to fix this loose thread-"

She burst out her scary face and shouted, "NOW!" sending poor Jerry running off crying for his mother. Meta Knight's eyes widen as bow moved closer.

"Don't hurt me!"

"Oh, shush. I did that to get him to go away."

"But…why?"

"Well, you know how we're going to rehearse the final scene today?"

"Yeah? So what?"

"The one that has the kissing part?"

Meta Knight's face fell "I really wish you wouldn't mention THAT…"

"I can't possibly kiss anyone that isn't K- err, my boyfriend. It simply won't do!"

"If it makes you feel any better, you can kiss my mask. There's no way Hayzee is making me take it off."

"….I guess that's better than the real thing but, pray tell, what DO you look like under there?"

"Oh, you wouldn't want to know…"

With a whoosh of his cape, Meta Knight was gone, leaving Bow blinking and thinking things over.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"You two had better know the song!" Tayzee hissed to his posse as they entered the stage.

"Would it help to say I know more than yesterday?" Mayzee asked quietly.

"Um…I know a few lines-" added Layzee until being abruptly cut off.

"IDIOTS!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Conroy, Bunia, and Jackson were busy playing cards, meanwhile, since they pretty much had their roles down. While Bunia handed over 4 Aces, Prickle strolled up to them and gave them each a personal glower.

"Jerks…" he grunted, continuing to pass by.

"Look who's talking…" threw in Jackson, handing a 2 of diamonds to Conroy. Prickle had the urge to turn around, but just kept walking away.

**Half an hour later due to the fact Hayzee really wanted to get it over with-**

"ALL RIGHT!" Hayzee blared, clapping his hands. "Let's not quite take it from the top, since we're starting with Scene 5, but this time, I wanna see some feeling in it! Really throw the emotion!"

Bow raised her hand. "Does this apply to a certain kiss?"

Hayzee turned to Bow and clenched his fist for emphasis. "Lady, Lady Bow…that kiss needs to burn with a fiery passion! Really sell it! Make it look as real as physically possible! Sparks need to fly and you can even-"

"Please, shut up. I'll even pay you." interrupted Meta Knight; face turned red behind his mask. Bow instantly covered her face behind her fan completely.

"Hmph! Well then! Ignore a little friendly advice…" Hayzee grunted. "All right! Scene 5! Let's go- chop chop!"

**Scene 5-**

Tails managed the curtains this time around, with Meta Knight was sitting on a bench again (still, with Luigi lying next to it). Bow and Conroy were in their positions, and Tayzee was praying that Mayzee and Layzee would pull off some miracle.

"It's all my fault…I should've fought for that hat!" Meta Knight growled, making a fist.

Bow patted Meta Knight. "Don't worry about it- it's not your fault one of your closest friends betrayed you!"

"You, my friend…your Fiery Hat of Social Awareness is a rather hot topic, isn't it? ISN'T IT! No wonder it is no longer in thy possession!" Conroy pointed out, quickly swapping to the brighter side. "But who knows…a red angel may come down from the sky and save it!", looking on the Brightside. Meta Knight sighed. Tayzee started tapping his foot, actually pleased to see Mayzee and Layzee doing the same.

"A hero…will come to save you…" Tayzee began, praying that Mayzee and Layzee wouldn't screw anything up. "He will arrive beside you, or sneak up behind you, but he is sure to come!"

"A miracle in the form of a hero…hope in the shape of a man…"sang Mayzee.

Layzee then broke out with, "If this pride from above won't be able to help you, then pretty much no one can!"

They grinned at Tayzee, who gave them a signal to kick it into high gear. They started pulling off their own moves, which they were unable to do yesterday.

"I hate to say it, but they seem pretty good when they're united like that…" Bunia whispered to Jackson, who solemnly agreed. Malon and Blooey exchanged glances from back stage, and they could almost feel Tayzee giving them a smug look.

The Dayzee trio finally started singing in unison. "Red will be your favorite color- you won't love another! He descends from the sky- he's a great kind of guy! You never saw him coming- isn't he amazing? Just look…and see- his halo is spherical! It's…the Red…MIRACLE!"

Mayzee and Layzee did a quick somersault and landed on their hands and knees while Tayzee jumped on their backs and folded his arms, looking proud. Hayzee, from above, gave them a rapid applause.

"Beautiful! Do it just like you did now, and we'll in for sure!"

"Of course! Would you expect any less?" Tayzee boasted.

"Oh brother…" Tails gagged as he and Torque worked to lower a swinging Hayzee down.

"I am the Red Miracle! Here to return the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness back to you! And maybe figure out the mystery too!"

Hayzee literally jumped out of the air, nearly taking Tails and Torque with him.

"Sweet custard!" "Is this guy for real? We're not exactly paperweights!"

Meta Knight gasped and threw up his hands. "Hark! You've answered my prayers! Will you save my Fiery Hat?"

"But of course! I AM the Red Miracle after all! That fiend won't know what hit him when I take back the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness!"

"Okay Blooey! Let's do even better than the Dayzee trio!" Malon exclaimed. "What do you say?"

Blooey grinned. "They won't know what hit them!"

They rolled out, and then kneeled on the ground, heads down. First, Blooey's head flashed up.

"Da na…Here we go again!"

Malon's head came up. "There's a hat of fiery that's aware socially…"

With Blooey- "Yeah no lie! No lie!"

They stood up and started moving their shoulders. "A burning desire in the form of a cap, how'd it get lost in this mishap?"

"I can't believe it!" wailed Blooey. "Oh woah whoa no…"

Malon skipped around and started pumping a fist while Blooey cued the song from the CD Player- which Jackson handled once again.

"It better be saved before the power that's craved gets abused, and used, until the mystery is raved! Oh! The Red Miracle will save the day- the bad guy's going down either way!"

Everyone started clapping their hands and swaying to the beat while Tayzee pulled at his petals. He glanced over to Mayzee and Layzee, and to his horror, they were dancing! He glanced up and even saw Tails and Torque moving to the music while they managed the lights!

"Who will take him down?"

"No one!"

"Will he bring the bad guy around?"

"Evil is as good as done!"

"That Fiery Hat WILL be found!"

"Then we'll all have some fun!"

Blooey did a flip into the air and landed perfectly on Malon's outstretched hand. The entire stage nearly burst in applause.

"And that is how you do it!" Malon smirked, bursting with pride. Tayzee gritted his teeth as the curtain fell…

**Scene 6-**

Prickle was standing in a shack, which was most likely his house. He held the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness up high, trying to figure out its secrets.

"Blast! It seems I am unable to solve the mystery…oh well, for I will place it on my head and gain its powers anyway."

Right as he began to move it to his head, the Red Miracle kicked down the door (with Luigi lying just outside, hit hat barely visible) with Meta Knight, Bow, and Conroy in the background.

"Stop right there, fiend!" Hayzee shouted, darting in and giving Prickle a nasty kick to the head. Prickle ducked at the last moment screaming, "Woah WAIT a minute! Don't I need a stunt double?"

"Psh, real actors do their own stunts!" Hayzee protested, heading back out of the door. "Now stay still so I can knock you silly to the floor…"

Prickle sighed as the scene replayed out. He meekly held up the hat again, reciting, "Blast! It seems I am unable to solve the mystery…oh well, for I will place it on my head and gain its powers anyway."

"Stop right there, fiend!" cried Hayzee, nearly breaking down the door and jumping into the air. Prickle braced for impact, and cried out as 4 of the parts were almost knocked loose. He just let himself fall to the floor, praying for no more physical contact.

"No! Why has this happened!" Prickle wailed out pathetically. "I knew you would come, yet I didn't stop you! WHY! And now…I feel so weak…"

Conroy pointed a flipper at him and growled. "It's your fault…that hat has made you socially aware…you are to blame for the consequences! And tomorrow…you'll never see the sunrise AGAIN!"

"NOOOOOOOoooo! You can't possibly do me in! Remember our friendship!" It was a desperate attempt to get out of the situation, and Prickle was going to take it. Meta Knight then stepped up, glancing down at Prickle with disgust- it was almost real!

"Hmph. What friendship? The only thing I remember is being used to get to the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness…"

Bow sniffled and threw herself into Meta Knight's arms. "Oh, why…WHY did you put on that fiery hat of social awareness? You have become so self-conscious, so conflicted, and so misunderstood…you couldn't have just gotten an icy cold hood of physical isolation instead, could you?"

Meta Knight shook his head. "It wasn't my fault…I did not choose the hat- the hat, it chose me…"

"But look what trouble it's caused! It ruined what little with had with the pathetic soul on the floor…"

"Hey! I'm right here!"

"Oh, my darling…no matter what becomes of this incident, I shall stand by your side 'til the very bitter sweet fiery end…I promise…"

Hayzee sniffed. "Beautiful! Now, hug to really seal the moment!"

"Do we have to?" whined Meta Knight.

"Yes!"

Meta Knight sighed and awkwardly wrapped his arms around Bow, who was trying to stay as far away as possible. Hayzee then turned his back to the moment and stuck a fist out toward Prickle.

"Hand over the hat, and perhaps I, the great Red Miracle, may spare you."

Prickle pretended to grumble something as he handed up the flaming cap. Hayzee took it, gave a nod, and then kicked Prickle in the 5th part, causing a female yelp to cry out. Hayzee gave Prickle a look until he covered it up with a cough. Hayzee then threw up his hands, summoning a tornado, and Bunia tore through the stage, making a whirling sound and crashing into Prickle. Then, once the commotion settled, Tails turned on a spotlight and aimed it at Hayzee as he bent down and held the hat out to Meta Knight.

"I believe this belongs to you…" he whispered. Meta Knight took it, but then sighed.

"No. The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness belongs to no one."

And he blew out the flame, all the lights fading.

"CUT! Excellent job, Meta Knight. Feel free to buff up the lines a bit- Lady Bow, beautiful! Conroy…great…Prickle, stop being so monotone. And Luigi-stretch out the leaves of yours just a little bit-"

"What! How in this world am I supposed to do that?"

Hayzee shrugged, and then called for places in Scene 7.

**Scene 7-**

Tails and Torque moved like lightning, changing the scene from a shack to the scene in Scene 2, with Luigi just lying by the road. Meta Knight, Bow, and Conroy were saying goodbye to the Red Miracle, and Malon and Blooey were getting ready to sing the ending song. Jackson was stalking around in the background, and Bunia was spinning around just because he could. Hayzee hadn't yelled at him, so he figured it was okay.

"There's a hat of fiery that's aware socially…" Malon sang quietly, setting the mood.

Blooey shook his head to the beat, adding, "Yeah no lie… No lie…"

"A burning desire in the form of a cap, it was the source of a kidnap! And now, to recap…"

"The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness…is no…more!"

The lights went dark on the duo, and Tails then changed it to Meta Knight and the gang.

"So, it's all over now, right?" Meta Knight asked.

Bow nodded. "Yes, at last, it's over…"

"That stupid traitor will never try to pull another move like that!" yelled Conroy, shaking a fist. "…hopefully.

"But, it has me thinking…" began Hayzee, looking thoughtful. "Could the secret of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness be the fact that you know you have a flame on your head, you instantly seem to know everything that's going on around you due to the fact of being paranoid?"

Meta Knight shook his head. "...no. Let's go with, the Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness, is trying to figure out what the mystery is."

Hayzee then looked all too eager as Meta Knight and Bow slowly turned to each other, eyes wide.

"Well? What are you waiting for!"

"Uh…how do we do this?"

"Just…do it! That's all there is to it!"

"Um, okay…"

They awkwardly inched closer to each other, shifting from side to side trying to figure out how to go about it. Finally, Bow scooted closer, and then gave the quickest peck on his mask possible before propelling quickly away. Meta Knight threw up his hands in confusion- it had to be longer than THAT- and Hayzee smacked his head.

"No, no, no, no! That had no passion at all!"

"But I can't do it!" Meta Knight and Bow exhausted at the same time.

"You have to! Every great play has some gushy scene at the end!"

"Why can't it be Mayzee and Bunia or something?" cried Bow. Bunia, at the mere thought, fainted in the background.

"Because they're not the main characters! Now make out like there's no tomorrow!"

Tails cringed and turned away. "I have a feeling I shouldn't be watching…"

Meta Knight took a deep breath and tried to relax. "Okay…okay…I'm going to do it and get it over with…"

He took Bow's hands, and then somehow leaned in as Bow pressed her lips against the mask. Although the actors were satisfied with that, Hayzee was not.

"Um, hello! There is no real love if you have to mask your face! Take that thing off, Meta Knight!"

"No! That, my good sir, is where I firmly draw the line!" Meta Knight boomed. Hayzee folded his arms and gave Meta Knight a look.

"Why? Got something to hide?"

Meta Knight flushed. "Depends on how you look at it…"

"Take it off or you're fired!"

Meta Knight shrugged and walked away.

"Wait! No! Ugh…"

"C'mon on, Meta Knight! Let's see your ugly face!" taunted Tayzee with a snicker. Tails growled and dropped a sandbag on his head while Malon, hidden from Hayzee's view, played a heavy metal song. It caused an anvil to fall from nowhere and pressed him into the ground. Meta Knight lightly smiled, though was still not about to take the challenge lightly.

"Fine. I'll take it off, but only Bow is going to see…" he grunted. Hayzee was fine with that and he nodded. Bow blinked in curiosity as Meta Knight turned his back to everyone but her and ever so slowly removed his mask. Once it was off, Bow instantly gasped and staggered back.

"What! What! Is he really a scary monster!" "Does he have no face at all!" "Is he really ugly!"

Bow shook her head at all the guesses. "No…he…he looks just like _Kirby!"_

Tayzee groaned. "Darn! I thought I had some blackmail, but I have no idea who this Kirby weirdo is…"

Meta Knight, starting with his yellow eyes and making a face (which was blue, if you didn't know). "How do you know Kirby?"

Bow instantly blushed and scratched the back of her head. "Oh hahahahaha, um…well, nothing big or anything, but I'm his Soul Partner."

"Whoa really! COOL!" shrieked Tails and Malon at the same time. "We've got Soul Partners of our own!"

Blooey and Torque struck poses. "…and we take pride in that!"

"I don't have one," murmured Luigi, lying unbothered on the ground STILL.

"Can we please get on with this?" begged Hayzee.

Meta Knight sighed, Bow twitched with the fact that Meta Knight looked like Kirby, and everyone else was just begging for rehearsal to get over with- even though it was still early in the day. Bow just leaned in, held if for 5 seconds, and then backed away. At last, Hayzee was happy, then cued for Prickle to do his last part.

"Hooray…" he grumbled. He was supposed to sneak up on Meta Knight one last time for revenge, but it was obvious he was going to fail. Seeing Prickle reenter the stage was Tails' cue to drop a bag of sand on him, then torque blinded Prickle with the spotlight, and the curtains fell, which was to signal the end of the play. Hayzee clapped his hands and started dancing around excitedly.

"Marvelously done! Beautiful! We'll be ready for tomorrow for sure!"

"I won't have anything to do tomorrow!" complained Jerry.

"You can seat people or something."

"Oh joy! …not."

Hayzee gave the cherry bomb-omb a look before calling for a break. Everyone expressed relief and broke into their usual groups.

"You guys are really doing great…" Luigi said weakly to his team and Meta Knight, who had by now just simply started hanging around with them.

"You looking good as grass though, Luigi!" Tails replied.

"You can hardly even see me in Scene 6, and I have absolutely no importance in the last Scene! Or in Scene 4, or 3..."

"Who know? Maybe there's some profound reason behind you being grass or something?" Malon suggested.

"Or maybe it's just because Luigi is a loser." Blooey said simply, as innocent as he possibly could. Luigi gave him a look, Malon shook her head, and Jerry and Torque were quick to agree with anything Blooey said against Luigi. As they started to discuss Luigi, grilled cheese, and fried chicken, Hayzee walked up.

"Hi guys! What's up?"

"We're taking our break…"

"I knew that!"

"What are you doing, is the real question," Meta Knight responded, still trying to adjust his mask to fit perfectly on his face.

"Well, you guys are my finest actors- I figured I should get the chance to get to know you more!"

"We're you finest actors?" Luigi asked. "But…I'm just grass!"

"A wise author once said that not all roles are equal at first glance, but when you get to fully understand the role and act as them, each character becomes dependent on the rest. Even grass."

"What wise author was that?"

"I don't know- but he sure did like plays and musicals!"

"Anyway, what are we going to be practicing when the break's over?" Tails asked. "Er, well, you guys will be practicing. I'll just be managing all the awesome special effects with my machine!"

"Eh, probably just Scenes 2, 3, and 4. We've just did 5-7, and 1 we seem to have stapled down. Then, after that, you're all free to go and the play's tomorrow!"

"Whoa! That's one day away from getting the Marvelous Compass Piece!" Luigi gasped. The rest of the team did a double-take.

"Good gosh, I was so wrapped up in the play I forgot the entire reason we're even here in the first place!" exclaimed Malon. Tails nodded in agreement.

"What are you here for, if I may ask?" Meta Knight inquired.

"Well, the whole reason we're even in Jazzafrazz Town is because we're on a quest to save a sweet princess," Tails explained. Luigi nodded.

"Yeah, I received a letter from Princess Éclair's advisor a few weeks ago, which sent me to Rumblebump Volcano-"

"-where he met me after almost saving me from falling out of the sky," Malon threw in.

"AND tossed me into some lava!" added Blooey.

"…Uh-huh, then we went to Plumpbelly Village to get the piece from Hizza the two-headed snake-"

"Where he scarred me for life by wearing a wedding dress!" snorted Jerry. Meta Knight did a double take and Luigi gave him a look to confirm that it was true.

"And he nearly married some girl named Strudel…" grunted Malon.

"I snuck away, didn't I?" Luigi protested. "Anyway, we headed to Circuit Break Island after that."

"That's where I come in!" Tails stated happily. "They wouldn't be here without me, you know…"

"…and that's where he brutally beat up my number 1 kart…"

"Easy Torque…so, long story short, the piece we retrieved on Circuit Break Island led us to the one here in Jazzafrazz Town."

"And once we win the competition- who knows what the next frontier of adventure will be for us!" Jerry finished.

Meta Knight seemed interested. "So, you're really adventures?"

They all nodded.

"Just like Sonic…" "Just like Link…" "Just like Mario…"

"Just like Kirby…" Meta Knight finished after all. "Pretty weird. It's like we're mirror images of them or something."

"That's what I said!" Malon exhausted, giving Luigi and Tails a smug look.

Torque looked perplexed. "But, if I remember correctly, Team Mario has a 5th member, don't they?"

Malon nodded. "Yeah, Samus Aran."

"Who would "mirror" her?"

Everyone fell silent until Luigi shrugged.

"Maybe we'll only end up with four members or something. I'm okay with that." He then glanced at Meta Knight, who Luigi could tell had an odd expression behind his mask. "…well, uh, if Meta Knight were to join us. But, he probably doesn't want to, since he's busy with…Meta Knight things or something. Heh heh…"

Meta Knight stared down at the floor. "Yeah, because I have something better to do, of course…"

It stayed silent for awhile, until a sudden shatter was heard in the background, along with a high-pitched scream from Bunia. The gang was instantly back at center stage in a flash as Bunia was doing his best to whirl away from Prickle throwing random vases at him.

"What's going on?" Hayzee demanded to know. Bunia let out a yelp and darted behind his director.

"Prickle's going on a rampage!"

"Why?"

"He says he's suffering from a concussion, but how are we to know that?"

Tails glanced around nervously.

"We can stop him, if you'd like!" Jerry offered, eager to get his fuse lit again.

"So we can cause another World War? I don't think so!" Hayzee blared as he made his way over to Prickle. "Besides, I've got this one."

"Huh? But-"

Prickle started chucking anything he could get his hands on at the moment, snarling when Hayzee came into sight.

"You! It's your fault that you had that little orange fool repeatedly whumped me with stage items!"

"Who are you callin' a fool?" Tails exclaimed, offended. "...and 2/3 times it WAS an accident…"

Prickle charged at Hayzee, who just stood calmly in the line of destruction.

"Hayzee, what are you-"

The Dayzee opened his mouth and began to sing the tune that every Crazee Dayzee knew. Prickle got slower with every step, er, hop…until he suddenly fell forward and went to sleep. Hayzee struck a proud pose as Team Luigi scrambled up to him and Jackson (being part doctor) inspected Prickle.

"Hm, the symptoms seem to lead to a brain disorder known as insanity-"

"You, hush. He's perfectly fine- that whole concussion thing was just an excuse to vent out his anger, you know."

Jackson, insulted, walked away. "Fine, ignore my completely correct diagnosis!"

"Whoa, I forgot Crazee Dayzees could do that!" Luigi exclaimed. Hayzee grinned and nodded.

"Not only does my song put people to sleep, it can heal whoever I want it to heal!"

"So Prickle won't be insane?" asked Jerry.

"Everyone knows there's no cure for that."

"Like the common cold!"

"But if Prickle's asleep, how are we to rehearse the rest of the scenes? He's, like, the star in all of them!" exclaimed Malon.

"…well, Prickle oddly seems to know his lines, and those 3 scenes really don't have much room for improvement, considering everyone's pretty spot on…"

"So we can stop now?" Meta Knight asked, slightly hopefully.

"Yeah, I guess." he then glanced at Prickle. "And if we lose because of our three "missing" scenes, then we can all say it's my fault. But I still don't want this idiot running around throwing things at my actors…"

Hayzee somehow managed to pick up Prickle without taking any damage and dragged him off to the trailer…er, the outside of it, considering he didn't sleep in either trailer.

"What a brave soul…" Luigi sniffed. "Giving up chances of winning for the safety of his actors!"

"Well what about it? It IS his fault…" Blooey stated bluntly.

"How can you say that?" Malon asked, a bit stung. "It was kind of him to do that!"

Blooey instantly regretted his words. "W-Well I just meant-"

"I refuse to let his efforts go in vain just because some lunatic feels like acting like a two-year old!" Luigi said determinedly. "I say we rehearse those scenes anyway- even if I do have to be grass!"

"O-Okay, but how are going to convince everyone else?" Malon asked.

"All we need are Conroy, Bow, Bunia, Jackson, and someone to sort of fill in for Prickle…and me, sort of. And you and Blooey, and Meta Knight, and Tails…basically everyone but the Dayzee Trio, since they're only in Scene 5."

"Yeah! We can pull this off!" cheered Tails. "Are you in Meta Knight?"

"…I suppose, for yours and Hayzee's sake."

"Yes! Let's do this! I'm sure everyone will be willing if I talked to them!" Malon stated excitedly, instantly running off. Tails instantly took off toward the ceiling to go rev up his…well, whatever appropriately describe was stage crew was. Meta Knight, however, seemed highly reluctant, but still somewhat willing to just do it.

The rest of the cast, minus the Dayzee Trio since they were off practicing the chorography in an attempt to beat Malon, were just loafing around and doing whatever- although mainly discussing Prickle's hasty actions.

"What was wrong with that guy?" questioned Conroy. "I mean…what the heck? We go on break and he's suddenly nuttier than a Nutty Bar!"

"And I bet 20 coins he probably did that sabotage the entire play!" complained Bow.

"Hi guys! What's up?" Malon asked upon arriving. They all shook their heads.

"Nothing. We heard rehearsal's over since Hayzee had to knock out that psycho." shrugged Jackson.

"Do you guys still want to do at least a little bit of Scenes 2, 3, and 4?"

"Give us one good reason."

"Tayzee's not invited."

In unison: We're in.

"ALL RIGHT!" Tails' blared through Hayzee's megaphone, taking over as director. "We've done them once, let do them once more with feeling!"

"You sound just like him…"

"THANK YOU! PLACES PEOPLE-ACTION!

**Scene 2-**

Torque quickly set the stage up for Scene 2, which was the path toward the restaurant where Luigi would make his first appearance in the entire play by simply lying beside the road. Meta Knight casually strolled down, with Bow at his side and Conroy skipping ahead of them. Bunia was going to fill in the role of Prickle at the moment, on account of tails allowed him to wear the Zorro costume. Speaking of Tails, he was gazing out at the play while hitting several buttons on his special effects machine to make it seem like a noon day.

"I sense something suspicious…" Meta Knight said randomly, sticking his head into the air.

"CUT. Meta Knight, try to put some…emotion in it! Your voice just kind of drones on…"

Meta Knight gave Tails a look saying that he was taking this too far and muttered, "I sense something suspicious-"

"BEAUTIFUL!"

"What are you talking about?" Bow questioned.

"I am aware of something…suspicious…"

"What ever could it be?"

"I don't know…but it appears that the Fiery Hat's power is taking effect…" Bunia cackled.

Meta Knight suddenly jumped into the background and tackled Jackson, who was stalking around with his overly suspicious costume.

"You! What do you think you're trying to do?"

"Augh! Please, have mercy!"

"No! You were up to something…suspicious!"

Tails hit the smoke button, adding effect to the "fight" and also making Bow, Conroy, and Bunia start coughing.

"Sorry! I'll stick with the smoke ball!"

As Bow and Conroy gagged, and Bunia fainted, Jackson pulled some majestic Ninji move and sent Meta Knight to the ground, granting him momentary freedom.

"Listen to me! All I did was see that flame upon your hat…could that be…the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness?"

"Perhaps it is. What is it to you?" Meta Knight asked darkly. Jackson held up his hands and gave a look of innocence.

"I was just curious. Like anyone could solve its mystery anyway…"

The entire group seemed intrigued. "A mystery, you say?"

"But of course! The thing is, no one knows for sure what it is about the Fiery Hat that IS the mystery!" Jackson explained. "Not even the wearer is aware of what it could possibly be…"

"Really? Sounds…powerful…" mused Bunia, inching closer to Meta Knight to take the hat as Prickle would have done.

"Heheheheh…" Tails snickered as he released yet another sandbag. This whole charade was starting to become a hobby for him. Bunia genuinely didn't expect that- he didn't recall that in the script, despite the fact it was there- and let out a wail as the sandbag just missed conking him in the head.

Conroy, half mesmerized by what happened, somehow managed to make out his next few lines. "Thanks for telling us that, um…Random Mysterious Guy in the Background…Uh, I guess…"

Also starring oddly at Bunia, Bow absent-mindedly tugged on Meta Knight. "Come, dear. We must've been late for our reservations at the restaurant! They don't like late ones, so we mustn't dawdle!"

"STOP STARING AT BUNIA! THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW!"

"We're right here!" Meta Knight yelled back.

"JUST TRYING TO GET THE POINT ACROSS. ACTION!"

"Are we really going to believe some guy that appears out of nowhere that claims there's a mystery behind this hat?" questioned Meta Knight, trying to get back on track.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Perchance we find out more at the restaurant, if we actually get there!" Bow replied, finally getting Meta Knight to move. "…and I'll order a breadstick or two."

"I'll probably get a sandwich."

"We can't sit in the smoker's section. I'll be too aware of the horrid scents…"

Bunia staggered around in a daze, behind slightly guided by a snickering Conroy, and they exited for Scene 3. But, not before Bunia yelled randomly:

"The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness will be MINE!"

Tails came down for a moment and happily clapped his hands. "Excellent…almost. Conroy, Prickle (or in this case Bunia) has to be alone on stage so he can do that last line, and you have to act like you're in an actual conversation, okay?"

Conroy waved a flipper. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever…"

Tails clapped his hands again; shouting, "Places people!" and he, Torque, and now Jerry who had nothing better to do rearranged everything for Scene 3. This scene was the actual restaurant, where the four main characters were to have lunch. Luigi wasn't even in this Scene, while Malon and Blooey ended up having a big music number.

"Here we go!" Tails called, rallying the actors with a fist pump. "Scene 3! Now, remember, it starts out with you guy ordering a simply lunch, then Meta Knight flips out, Malon sings her bonus song, and Prickle -aka Bunia- will hatch his utter evil scheme!"

"Um, Tails?" Malon asked quietly.

"What's up?"

"Can we just do my song? I've realized it's getting really late, and, uh…Hayzee doesn't really like us hanging around after hours, know what I mean?"

Tails looked thoughtful. "You have a point…okay guys! Malon's going to do her number, and then we'll wrap this up!" he headed back to the beams. "ACTION! Take it from Meta Knight's last set of lines with the waiter!"

Everyone nodded and scrambled into their positions. Tails quickly lowered down the fake waiter for Meta Knight to yell at.

"Hey waiter! I've got a problem with this soup!" Meta Knight called, motioning for the guy to come over. The 'waiter' "walked" over, and "asked", "Is there a fly in your soup?"

"What? Of course not!" he held up the liquid and growled. "This is tomato soup right? Well, it has no tomatoes! That's why I can't eat this! It was obviously made with squash! You can't have squash in a tomato soup!"

"How can you possibly know something like that!" Bow exclaimed frantically.

"Because it's this stupid hat, I tell you!"

Blooey did a cartwheel out, followed by Malon jumped over him. "That Fiery Hat of Social Awareness!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…"

"It takes control, your head starts to roll, and it begins to take its toll!" Malon slid to the right and pointed at Meta Knight. "There's nothing you can really do, it's out of your reach! You are the only and only you- but don't listen to me preach!"

She jumped swiftly on the table as Tails started running down the beam, hitting all the multicolored lights to get them to shine while Torque made it so they'd move. Jackson, Luigi, and Jerry gathered at the sides and started to dance a little as Blooey broke out into song.

"That little hat is the source of this rap, and at least I know, where it's at! As you know, it burns a small flame, but the tiny fire is anything but tame! It'd be a shame! To see, that man be, something short of what he once was just because a cap came around and brought him down!"

"That's right! Whoo!" Malon threw in, doing a few moves on the table. Now Jackson, Luigi, and Jerry were in full-on dancing mode, the cast at the lunch table began to sway, and apparently the music became so loud that Tayzee, Mayzee, and Layzee heard it all the way from their trailer and had to come see what was going on.

"Don't those idiots know rehearsal is over!" growled Tayzee, furious that his own practice time had been "interrupted". Mayzee and Layzee just sighed and loyally followed behind. When Tayzee pushed the stage doors open, he nearly fainted at the sight of Malon singing to her heart's content while a rainbow of lights were zinging all over the place. Tails was so into the song he was now singing across the stage on a rope cheering!

"Ooh, wait until Hayzee hears about this one!" tisked Layzee.

"Ain't THAT the truth? Let's roll out, guys!" Tayzee ordered, making their way to Hayzee's director's room. He was currently sitting inside sulking, afraid that the lack of practicing would be the downfall of his play. Suddenly, there was chaotic knocking at the door, and Hayzee thought it was Luigi.

"Come in!"

To his horror, Tayzee arrived instead, looking quite smug.

"Ooh, Hayzee, you'll never believe what Team Luigi is doing to on the stage!"

"C'mon!" added Mayzee, as she and Layzee practically dragged a confused Hayzee out of the door.

. . . . . . . . . . .

When they returned to the scene moments later, Hayzee really didn't believe what he was seeing, but it wasn't for the reason the Trio had thought.

"Well? What have you got to say about this sight?" Tayzee asked. To his surprise, Hayzee smiled.

"Now they know how to improvise!" Hayzee chuckled. "Because of them, we might end up winning this after all!"

Tayzee's jaw dropped as Hayzee danced along to Malon's peppiest song in the entire play. There went his chance of great fame and fortune…all because some other fool put in a little overtime. Whoop-dee-doo.

Unfortunately for Tayzee, he had to go to sleep later than usual, because the rehearsal went far beyond when they usually stopped…they were going to win the Dramalama Slam, whether they had Tayzee's support or not.


	33. The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 32: The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness

"Oh my good golly gosh- TODAY'S THE FLIPPIN' PLAY!"

The one cry that emitted from Bunia awoke everyone in both trailers, instantly starting a frenzy. When they had gathered at the stage, Tayzee randomly started singing his lines, Conroy got trapped in his costume, Blooey tried to speak but was off key, Bow was complaining about people witnessing her kissing Meta Knight, Tails was probably the only one not flipping out, boasting about his stage crew skills, and Luigi was mulling over how he was going to be a meek little blade of grass.

"HEY!" Malon shouted, borrowing Hayzee's megaphone for the moment. "We're not going to get anything done if we run around screaming, you know!"

"We're gonna suck!" "I've lost my button! "I've got stage fright!" "Will my MOM be here? !"

"Think about the grand prize and the fame, people!" Tayzee interrupted, rubbing his hands together devilishly. Everyone rolled their eyes at him.

"I need chocolate to start off my day!" Tails cried, starting to rush into town until Luigi stopped him.

"No, you need a well-balanced breakfast, kid."

"Like what? A waffle?"

"Pancakes?"

"French Toast?"

"Don't go down that road again, people."

"Oh goddesses! I'm going to have to sing! Oh dear…untamed fear coming back!" yelled Malon, pacing back and forth.

"I thought you just said-"

"Ignore what I said, man! This is a_ great_ time to start panicking!"

"Urgh…uh, what happened?" Prickle asked groggily, having hardly any recollection of the day before. Hayzee's singing really packed a punch! Everyone stared at him until Hayzee came tromping up, obviously not happy.

"Prickle, you don't remember trying to assault the other actors, do you?" he huffed.

"Um…I remember trying to sabotage, but I don't recall assault."

Bow snapped her fingers. "I told you!"

"You're just lucky you happen to be the villain, otherwise I would've kicked you out personally!"

_"That was a close one…" "Tell me about it- poor Black doesn't remember anything and our chances were nearly blown!"_

Hayzee then sighed and flipped frantically through his schedule. "Okay, okay. Around 2 o'clock, "Stars Wars: The Musical" will start, then at 4 "My Last Tomorrow", 6 will be…shiver…"A Really Super Gushy Love Story That 80% of Girls Will Love!" At 8 is when we put on "The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness". And, unfortunately, we have to use that time to watch the other plays because it wouldn't be very sportsmanlike. Those are the rules."

"Aw sweet! We get to see My Last Tomorrow!" cheered Conroy.

"Yeah, but we have to sit through "A Really Super Gushy Love That 80% of Girls Will Love!" too…" shuddered Jackson. Conroy's face instantly fell.

"hey, what time is it now?" Tails asked. "I lost track of time after the hour we spent panicking…"

"Well, Bunia woke you all up at 11, you screamed until around 12, and add approximately 25 minutes…"

"Dang, that was some rehearsal last night…" murmured Bow.

"Okay, okay…but what do we do until then?" asked Jerry.

"Uh…good question…"

"Oh come ON! Doesn't anyone know that Time Skip move?" Malon asked. Everyone stared at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, when Link gets impatient he just snaps his fingers, which either teleports him or sends him into the future at a max of 4 hours."

"Is that Chaos Control? Cuz I could call Shadow…"

"No, that's something a little different Tails…"

"What ARE we going to do?"

"It's only two hours…"

Luigi looked thoughtful for a moment until he simply said. "Anyone care if we do the "Change Scenes with a Set of Bold Words" maneuver?"

"…that might be crazy enough to work…perhaps…"

**Later at 1:45-**

"Ah, that worked out nicely!"

"Cool, now we've gotta get ready for other performers and the actual audience…

Hayzee was running around, as it was now his turn to begin panicking.

"Ah! AH! Look at everyone…oh, I really hope this isn't screwed up! Dear sweet mother of the Waffle Kingdom…"

Luigi grabbed him by the shoulder, whirled his around, and smiled. "Take it easy, Hayzee! Freaking out is my thing!"

"What's the worse that could possibly happen?" questioned Malon.

Hayzee looked fearful. "We…lose the competition?"

"Yup!" added Tails as he performed a kung-fu move. "…and then we'll just kick whoever won's butts and steal the Compass Piece anyway."

"Tails…" Luigi groaned.

"I'm serious! What** will **we do if we end up losing this?"

"Break down and cry?" Hayzee whimpered, already tearing up at the thought.

"Tails, Tails, Tails…you're the one that's always saying to "do your best" so why are you pointing this fact out?"

"I'm just saying! Someone has to!"

"Oh dear…" Malon trailed. "What WILL we do…"

"No time to worry now!" cried Hayzee, rushing off the greet a group at the door. When he was gone, Meta Knight arrived via swooping down and nearly blowing them all down.

"What's going on now?"

"Well, good ol' smiley positive Tails just _had_ to point out the option of what would happen if we lose the Dramalama Slam…" murmured Blooey, until he was violently hit by a combo of Malon and Torque. Tails frowned at him while Meta Knight also looked thoughtful.

"Well, in the words of Tails-"

"Oh come on!"

"- we better do our best!"

Tails threw up his hands as and trotted backstage. "Great! Now _I'm _getting ripped off! I feel like Sonic!"

Once he was gone, everyone exchanged looks and headed down into the audience- the first play would be starting.

**At 2-**

Malon ended up next to some hunky guy, with Luigi behind them, trying to scoot away from a manly woman who was giving him a REALLY awkward look, and Meta Knight sat by Bunia who was nervously chatting up a storm.

"Hey Malon? Can you move that hunky guy? I can't see!" complained Luigi.

"You think I have control over this guy?"

When guy turned around, Luigi instantly cringed and sank into his seat, then jumped away (aka 20 feet into the air, since he IS capable) when the "woman" next to him tried to pull a move. When he came back down, he ended up in Meta Knight's lap, then was thrown off into the partners, sitting all in a row guzzling popcorn. When the plumber ended up with the carton on his head, the partners started to go on a rampage.

"You ruin our lives and NOW our popcorn!" "I can't believe this!" "YOU'LL PAY LUIGI!"

"Let the stars protect me…"

He was saved by an angry couple turning around and telling the partners to shut up. This gave Luigi a chance to escape next to Bunia- still talking- and for Tails to return and plop down next to him.

"Where's you go?"

"…to get some chocolate."

Luigi stared straight ahead after that.

* * *

The first play, "Star Wars: The Musical" probably would have been the play that better fit Luigi- the actor who played Yoda jumbled up all his words! As he pouted over that, everyone watched in amazement as their favorite movies were all somehow crammed into a two-hour musical. The light-sabers also had VERY cool effects, worrying Tails. It was obvious the crowd was favoring this one quite a bit, since a good lot of them were Star Waroids…

"WE'RE SCREWED!" Blooey randomly wailed out, resulting in getting pelted with a thousand play snacks and shouts of "This is better than what YOU can do!" "That's my SON out there, you know!" "It's definitely worth my money!"

Once THOSE two hours of pleasure/torture were over, it was pretty close to 4, so no one was gifted with a quick break, and "My Last Tomorrow" instantly kicked into action. A shiny Silver Dayzee walked onto the stage to announce the play, and everyone instantly noticed Hayzee growl.

"That's Ray-Z. Him and I have been in competitive plays for ever! And he's like, my biggest rival!"

Everyone turned back to the stage where Ray-Z was announcing that everyone would be simply amazed and appalled by the sheer quality of his play. He was just like Tayzee- only probably able to back up his big-ego claims. He bowed and stepped off the stage, allowing his master piece to take place.

"I bet it won't even be that good!" snorted Bunia.

It started off with a bang and a boom (quite literally) instantly drawing in the audience and making Hayzee fret like crazy. The effects were amazing, and the scene itself was incredible- the set of a post-apocalyptic world. And not just the visuals were pleasing- the lines and script flowed so well that it almost seemed like the entire play was real! People fainted from the sheer amazement of the play. Malon started to cry.

"What's wrong Malon?" Luigi quickly asked. "Are you afraid we'll lose to them?"

"No…I'm crying because I actually like this play!"

"ME TOO!" wailed Bunia, Blooey, Jerry and Tails.

"It…is quite the attention grabber…" Meta Knight started.

"I hope you mean attention kidnapper!" snapped Hayzee, two rows way with his arms folded and pouting.

Malon wept at the songs. Tails cringed at the amazing effects and lights. Meta Knight envied the main character. Jerry bowed at the design of the costumes. And Luigi was glaring daggers at the guy who played a rock…

When the best friend died, everyone cried. As the main female started to kick some butt, people wished to be fighting alongside her. And toward the very end as a very realistic sun set in the background and the main character stood watching, the crowd nearly fell out of their seats as he collapsed, his last tomorrow finally lived. Hayzee turned around to look at his crew, and they were simply amazed and appalled AND on their edge of their seats.

"**_TRAITORS!"_** Hayzee shouted, causing all of them to sit back as far in their seat as possible, Tails trying out his smile but quickly hiding his face when it didn't work. Hayzee could feel Ray-Z grinning smugly at him, somewhere in the crowd…

"Grr…that strawberry piece of shortcake!" Hayzee cursed.

After an intermission (which no one took because the sheer weight of the epicness heaved upon them was really taking a toll) the third play started who's title is really long so I won't put.

. . . . . . . . . .

"This…is…our…last…chance…" Prickle sighed, hanging around backstage with a perfect view of Team Luigi. "If we don't pull something pretty soon, our whole plans are down the drain!"

"Well, who's fault is THAT for getting too into the play and trying to manipulate people!" yelled the 3rd.

"Yeah, we wanted to get it over with, but NOOOOOO-"

"SHUT UP. It is NOT my fault- we had to convince these idiots that we actually WANTED to do this!"

"Well now what are we going to do? We're going to get roped into this!"

"…all I can say is grit your teeth and bare it. We're doing this-"

"What about LUIGI-"

"WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVISE, YOU SPOONS!"

"Spoons?" "What kind of an insult is calling someone a spoon…" "I dunno- but it sounds cools and he's not the only one to use it…"

"Again, SHUT UP!"

. . . . . . . . .

Back with the main audience, everyone was head over heels for the completely not-hot-at-all guy who was trying desperately to win this new girl with super powers….or something. It was hard to tell over the screams of the other 20% of people.

"GOOD CHAOS STOP THE MADNESS!" cried Tails, trying to shield his eyes from the horror. Malon, meanwhile, had her hands clasped together and hearts in her eyes as she watch the completely not-hot-at-all guy take a single step.

"OHMIGOSH the way he walks is HAWT too! Just like him and his hair and I wonder if he'll take off his shirt or something-"

"Malon! No! Don't join the 80%!"

"But LOOK at him! Oh, he's _gorgeous!_ I NEED HIS POSTERS! Is he a vampire?"

"Excuse me! What's wrong with us?"

"Uh, helloooooo! YOU'RE** not** a vampire!"

"SAY WHA-"

"Don't follow through! She's just hypnotized by these chick…plays that everyone is so wrapped up in these days," muttered Meta Knight, averting his eyes from the sight of everyone dancing in a High School Musical fashion.

"I hope they don't make a book-"

"I hope they don't make a movie! The movies ALWAYS ruin it!"

"Oh look- I think it's over-"

"NOOOO! It can't be! Cassandra never got with Jaret! WHY! They'd better make a sequel!"

All guys and 20% of Girls: NOOOOO!

The curtains finally fell with the main characters in a steamy kiss, and the "curse" on Malon was lifted.

"Whoa…I suddenly feel like a noob…"

Luigi wiped his forehead. "Oh thank goodness! I thought we'd lost you…"

"Whuzzut?"

Tails interrupting the impeding conversation by frantically jumping up and down and pointing at Hayzee signaling for them to all get over there. Tails and Meta Knight grabbed onto Luigi and Malon, and Blooey, Torque, and Jerry clung onto Malon.

"Oh, I see! I'm not even good enough to be hung onto during flight…uh huh…" Luigi scoffed.

"This is really a bad time to start discussing this…"

When they landed backstage, Bunia was already there blaring out how many seconds they had left until showtime as Hayzee started looking really worried and attempting to raise the morale.

"Hoo…hoo…okay, we've still got a shot…but listen to me, people! No matter what happens out there, whether we win…or lose…just promise me you'll put forth your very best effort, okay?"

Everyone nodded in unison. Hayzee gave a small smile and briefly left Tails to get everything set up while he went to introduce his play. He instantly ran into Ray-Z.

"_Hey_ Hayzee! Been awhile, hasn't it?" he boomed. Hayzee just gave him a look.

"Oh, hello…Ray-Z."

"I just figured I'd come around to help get you prepared…for losing!"

"Oh rly?"

"Ya rly!"

"No wai!"

"Ya wai!"

"Uh, wait what comes after that?"

"You being a loser! Oh wait…that's already done! Ahahahahahaha!"

He gave Hayzee an "go break a leg" shove, leaving Hayzee nervously maneuvering his way to center stage, adjusting a professional bowtie while gulping.

"Um, uh, ah…w-welcome, ladies and gentlemen. I can't say how honored I am to have all of you here tonight to witness not just my play, but all the rest of my…highly worthy…competition. So, uh, without anymore procrastination, I give you The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness!"

The audience applauded as Tails pulled open the curtains, beginning with them simple scene 1- the inside of Meta Knight's yellow house. Speaking of, the star teleported onto the stage and raised his arms, which Tails followed up with a mystifying smoke. He turned to the audience, who were in complete and utter awe.

"…I really need to paint this house a different color. It really makes a room…socially aware, I suppose."

He turned and glided down the prop stairs, into the "basement" (which Torque quickly changed the scene set to match.).

"I prefer the darkness of this basement, to tell the truth…"

Tails quickly dimmed the lights, flew back up the to support beams, and aimed the spotlight on the chest.

Meta Knight feinted surprise as the chest just now popped into his sight. He bent down and started digging in the chest. "Hm…interesting. Oh, here I kneel, digging in his chest. What will I find? What will I find? Hopefully something for the best…"

He cringed behind his mask as he pulled out the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness- as you remember is only a red cap with a lit candle on top.

"Hark! What is this I hold in my hands? Could it be a Fiery Hat of Social Awareness?"

Malon and Blooey did back flips onto the stage, landing in cocky poses and smug smiles. The crowd instantly was intrigued. Hayzee gave her a light signal, and she started swaying her hips a little. To the audience's amazement, she was an incredible singer!

"There's a hat of fiery that's aware socially…"

"Yeah no lie! No lie!"

"A burning desire in the form of a cap, but…could it be…a trap?"

Blooey then leaned in close to the crowd and whispered, "We'll be back!" before torpedoing off stage alongside Malon.

Meta Knight, meanwhile, placed the hat on his head, then tried his best to act like he gained some new 6th sense and realized someone was headed for the door.

"I sense something beyond the door!"

There was a knock. Meta Knight flew back upstairs, still wearing the hat, and called, "Come in!"

"Hey-" began Conroy, opening the door. Suddenly, the hat's flames grew twice as high (thanks to Tails), making Meta Knight dance around at the pure feeling of heat.

"AUGH! The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness! IT BURNS!"

"…Should've had the water cap of anti-social awareness, Huh?…"

The audience started crack up at the line. Meta Knight felt Hayzee give him a smug look from where he currently was. He sweatdropped.

Bow exclaimed, "Oh my! What a mystery! Well, anyway, we can to ask if you like to assist us for a late lunch?"

"I'd love to," Meta Knight replied, already leading them out the door. "I…get the feeling something will go wrong, though. And it has something to do with this hat."

"Oh, don't worry about that! It actually looks quite fetching!" Bow laughed.

"Yeah, what could possibly go wrong anyway?" added Conroy, leaving Prickle to mumbled to himself.

"Hm…that hat seems to have socially aware powers!" Prickle realized quietly, narrowing his eyes. "I should totally steal it and claim its abilities to be mine! Waahahahahaha-ork ork- cough hack,…hahaha!"

_"Dang- still can't get the laugh…"_

The audience was left hanging in suspense as Tails lowered the curtains to prepare for Scene 2.

. . . . .

Hayzee frantically ran backstage, holding a clipboard and a water bottle for anyone who needed it- that spotlight was intense!

"Okay, okay, good job so far…all of you, brilliant. Though you really threw off the feeling with that laugh of yours, Prickle…"

"_Sor_-ry!" Prickle snorted. Hayzee just gave him a look and sent everyone in scene 2 out on the stage, once Tails and Torque had finished swapping the scene around. Hayzee nearly shoved Meta Knight and Conroy onto the scene while Luigi meekly trotted out and started to lie on the floor, facing away from the audience.

"Quick! Go, GO!" Hayzee cried as Tails quickly moved to tug the rope and lift the curtains, revealing the second scene.

. . . . .

When the audience saw Luigi lying on the ground, they instantly gasped. However, their attention was drawn away from the grass as Meta Knight said, "I sense something suspicious…"

"What are you talking about?" Bow questioned.

"I am aware of something…suspicious…"

"What ever could it be?"

"I don't know…but it appears that the Fiery Hat's power is taking effect…" Prickle cackled, getting the evil glare in his eye. Jackson started darting around in the background, hiding behind bushes and peeking around trees. Everyone but Meta Knight didn't seem to notice him- until Meta Knight suddenly jumped into the background and tackled Jackson.

"You! What do you think you're trying to do?"

"Augh! Please, have mercy!"

"No! You were up to something…suspicious!"

Tails threw the smoke ball, and the crowd leaned forward as the battle between Meta Knight and Jackson ensued. Jackson pulled some majestic ninji move and sent Meta Knight to the ground, granting him momentary freedom.

"Listen to me! All I did was see that flame upon your hat…could that be…the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness?"

"Perhaps it is. What is it to you?" Meta Knight asked darkly. Jackson held up his hands and gave a look of innocence.

"I was just curious. Like anyone could solve its mystery anyway…"

The entire group seemed intrigued. "A mystery, you say?"

"But of course! The thing is, no one knows for sure what it is about the Fiery Hat that IS the mystery!" Jackson explained. "Not even the wearer is aware of what it could possibly be…"

"Really? Sounds…powerful…" mused Prickle, inching closer to Meta Knight to take the hat. A kid in the audience stood up and screamed, "Look out, flammin' dude!" making Meta Knight grunt, but the day was somewhat saved by Tails dropping a sandbag.

"YES!" cheered the same kid, until his father told him to sit down and shut up. As all the action was going on, Luigi lie still, doing. He was afraid to even sigh- grass didn't do THAT either.

"Uh…thanks for telling us that, Random Mysterious Guy in the Background…" Conroy trailed. "Uh, I guess…"

All the "uh's" were figured to be apart of Conroy's character, which Hayzee was grateful the watchers thought was.

"Come, dear. We mustn't be late for our reservations at the restaurant! They don't like late ones, so we mustn't dawdle!" Bow announced, trying to pull Meta Knight away.

"Are we really going to believe some guy that appears out of nowhere that claims there's a mystery behind this hat?" questioned Meta Knight.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Perchance we find out more at the restaurant, if we actually get there!" Bow replied, finally getting Meta Knight to move. "…and I'll order a breadstick or two."

"I'll probably get the soup." added Conroy.

"We can't sit in the smoker's section. I'll be too aware of the horrid scents…"

Conroy followed the duo, only to trip over Luigi the Grass. Hayzee gasped and grabbed his chest, but luckily the audience found it comedic and started laughing. Conroy gave Luigi a look, like it was his fault, before scurrying off. Prickle got back up, then shouted:

"The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness will be MINE!"

…before following suit. The odd Scene 2 closed out with another draw of the curtains.

. . . . .

"Okay…that one was a little weird, but not bad…" Hayzee stammered, slightly panicking. "Conroy, you're getting a bit sluggish out there!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I felt…nervous all of a sudden!"

"Well shake it off man!" Hayzee then snapped his fingers. "STAGE CREW! …and Jerry! Swap the set and get the grass off the stage!"

Luigi was already standing and getting out of the way as Tails and Torque worked fast to drag out some restaurant tables and change the background- again. Once they were ready, Meta Knight, Bow, Conroy, and Prickle skidded out into the table and got into position. Conroy even held up a menu as Hayzee flew over and handled the curtains himself, nearly shoving Tails out of the way due to paranoia.

. . . . .

"Hmm…what will you have?" Bow asked, pondering over a menu she pulled from nowhere.

"I'll tell ya- _I'm_ having grilled cheese!" called Conroy, making the crowd crack up. Luigi, being positioned under a restaurant window even though he was hidden from the crowd, groaned.

"I'm not even very hungry…" murmured Prickle.

"I think I'll settle for tomato soup," said Meta Knight.

"Which goes great with grilled cheese!"

Tails then controlled the puppet to walk over, take the orders, then quickly return with the food in record time. Conroy hungrily chowed down on his grilled cheese, Bow had a light salad (she was still watching, even when she was acting) and Meta Knight took a simple slurp of his soup.

He instantly spat it out, accidentally onto Prickle. Hayzee nearly had a meltdown as Prickle, dripping with stew, glared at Meta Knight.

"Hey waiter! I've got a problem with this soup!" Meta Knight called, motioning for the guy to come back over. The waiter walked over, and asked (in Tails' voice), "Is there a fly in your soup?"

"What? Of course not!" he held up the liquid and growled. "This is tomato soup right? Well, it has no tomatoes! That's why I can't eat this! It was obviously made with squash! You can't have squash in a tomato soup!"

"How can you possibly know something like that!" Bow exclaimed frantically.

"Because it's this stupid hat, I tell you!"

Blooey did a cartwheel out, followed by Malon jumping over him. "That Fiery Hat of Social Awareness!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…"

"It takes control, your head starts to roll, and it begins to take its toll!" Malon slid to the right and pointed at Meta Knight. "There's nothing you can really do, it's out of your reach! You are the only and only you- but don't listen to _me_ preach!"

She jumped swiftly on the table as Tails started running down the beam once again, hitting all the multicolored lights to get them to shine while Torque made it so they'd move. Tails then jumped forward and latched onto a disco ball, dislodging it and putting it into action.

Blooey started back up as Jerry beat boxed in the background. "That little hat is the source of this rap, and at least I know where it's at! As you know, it burns a small flame, but the tiny fire is anything but tame! It'd be a shame, to see, that man be, something short of what he once was, just because, a cap came around and brought him down!"

"That's right! Whoo!" Malon threw in, doing a few moves on the table. She danced up to Meta Knight and bent down. "The object you've got…the one that you've brought…you don't know what it's capable of! Be very careful with it…because who knows what evil would want with it!"

Prickle suddenly donned a devilish grin- a plan was starting to hatch in his mind. The crowd gasped, and that kid started yelling to look out again, the but the actors were forced to ignored the yells. Malon stepped off the table as Blooey suddenly spun next to her, and they shared a "Whoa whoa woah woah oooooooo….yeah!" before promptly departing once more.

"WOO!" "Amazing!" "They can sing!" "Nice!" "I sure got my money's worth!"

As the cheers went on, Meta Knight briefly removed the hat, now realizing what its powers meant- but not quite its mystery. "This hat has a lot of power…I must use this ability for good!"

"Then next time, don't offend a waiter for putting squash in tomato soup!" cackled Conroy. Tails shut the curtains again, and the "Backstage Shifting Frenzy" started up.

. . . . .

"Absolutely stunning, Malon! I really think we've knocked them dead!" Hayzee cheered. Malon just gave a curtsey and grinned.

"Thank you!"

"Just wait until Scene 5..." trailed Tayzee. Malon gave a confident smirk in return.

"Yeah. Just wait until then…"

Tayzee frowned, but this was ruined by the fact he was knocked 5 feet away by Tails and Torque rushing to move the next background into place. Good thing Scene 4 was pretty short…

. . . . . .

Meta Knight was now alone, sitting in his now darkened living room. He stared at the Fiery Hat, desperate to learn its secrets.

"If…if only I understood what it meant…"

"Ah, as do I!"

He heard a shatter, then got up to see what was happening. The audience screamed, as they saw the enemy approaching Meta Knight. Meta Knight was aware of someone else in the dark room, but the feeling quickly disappeared as the hat was snatched out of his possession.

"*insert non-Fuzzy sounding evil laugh* the Fiery Hat is now mine! Ooooooo! What great secrets will it reveal!"

Prickle placed the red fire hat on his head and laughed manically again. The same kid instantly yelled, "NO! WHY!" Meta Knight tried to his best to act like that this was the most tragic thing to ever happen to him.

"DEAR MEATLOAF WHY!"

"Wahahahaha! I'm now socially aware! Take that! Now I can use this power for evil or something!"

Prickle then jumped out a complete different window than the one he randomly entered from. Meta Knight remained on the floor, crying out, "OH NO! Looks like we need a man who is the mere definition of a hero! One who is dashing, marvelous, brave, courageous, and incredibly skilled! Oh, where can we find such a hero…"

. . . . . .

"Hayzee? Care to tell me the point of that scene?"

"To set the mood. Now everyone get out there- it's the big scene 5...Scene!"

. . . . . .

Everyone who was in Scene 5 (which was nearly everyone) scrambled out and took their places as Stage Crew plus Jerry worked to get every rearranged-once again. Both Tails and Torque managed the curtains, since they needed the strength to lower Hayzee AGAIN. The scene opened to Meta Knight was sitting on a bench again (again still, with Luigi lying next to it). Bow and Conroy were in their positions at his sides.

"It's all my fault…I should've fought for that hat!" Meta Knight growled, making a fist, then placing his face in his hands. The crowd sighed- they were sympathetic. Hayzee did a dance backstage- now THAT was creating emotion within people, even if it was slightly not really that bad…

Bow patted Meta Knight. "Don't worry about it- it's not your fault one of your closest friends betrayed you!"

"You, my friend…your Fiery Hat of Social Awareness is a rather hot topic, isn't it? ISN'T IT! No wonder it is no longer in thy possession!" Conroy pointed out, quickly swapping to the brighter side. "But who knows…a red angel may come down from the sky and save it!"

Meta Knight just groaned and continued to hang his head. Tayzee started tapping his foot, whispering to his Trio, "Here's our shot at fame guys! Don't blow it!"

Mayzee hissed back, "Like we would!"

"A hero…will come to save you…" Tayzee began, starting to get into step. "He will arrive beside you, or sneak up behind you, but he is sure to come!"

"A miracle in the form of a hero…hope in the shape of a man…" sang Mayzee.

Layzee then broke out with, "If this pride from above won't be able to help you, then pretty much no one can!"

They exchanged excited glances as a few people in the audience became even more interested all of a sudden. Tayzee did a mental, "YES!" and starting pulling of some harder moves. Mayzee and Layzee both almost tripped trying to keep up with him.

"Red will be your favorite color- you won't love another! He descends from the sky- he's a great kind of guy! You never saw him coming- isn't he amazing? Just look…and see- his halo is spherical! It's…the Red…MIRACLE!"

Mayzee and Layzee did the quick somersault and landed on their hands and knees while Tayzee jumped on their backs and folded his arms, looking proud. Meanwhile, Hayzee was being lowered once again, also trying some dance moves even though there was no music, hoping to keep the attention.

"This guy is going to royally screw us…" grunted Torque, struggling to keep the rope from slipping.

"I am the Red Miracle! Here to return the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness back to you! And maybe figure out the mystery too!"

Tails felt his cheeks turn red as he fought to keep Hayzee from falling.

"Please someone tell me where this fits under stage crew?"

Once Hayzee jumped down, Tails and Torque let go of the rope and gave exasperated sigh, also nearly trapping Hayzee WITH the rope. He gave them a dreadfully dark glare as Luigi the Grass shifted over to cover up the scene like it was supposed to happen.

Meta Knight, carrying on with the play, gasped and threw up his hands. "Hark! You've answered my prayers! Will you save my Fiery Hat?"

"But of course! I AM the Red Miracle after all! That fiend won't know what hit him when I take back the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness!"

Music started up again, and the watchers instantly stood up, since they knew Malon and Blooey would be coming out. The duo rolled out like in practice, kneeling on the ground, heads down. Blooey's head flashed up first.

"Da na…Here we go again!"

Malon's head went up. "There's a hat of fiery that's aware socially…"

The crowd instantly started dancing.

"Yeah no lie! No lie!"

They stood up and started moving their shoulders. "A burning desire in the form of a cap, how'd it get lost in this mishap?"

"I can't believe it!" wailed Blooey. "Oh woah whoa no…"

Malon skipped around and started pumping a fist while Blooey cued the rest of the song from the CD Player- which Jackson handled, since he still had no other important role than to emphasize Meta Knight's awareness.

"It better be saved before the power that's craved gets abused, and used, until the mystery is raved! Oh! The Red Miracle will save the day- the bad guy's going down either way!" Malon sang, the crowd practically bending at her sheer talented will. Hayzee even caught Luigi "swaying in the wind" until he threaded to bring out a lawn mower.

"Who will take him down?"

"No one!"

"Will he bring the bad guy around?"

"Evil is as good as done!"

"That Fiery Hat WILL be found!"

"Then we'll all have some fun!"

Blooey did a flip into the air and landed perfectly on Malon's outstretched hand. The entire audience burst out in applause, despite the play not being quite done. Malon and Blooey did a few bows until they were pulled off with a cane.

. . . . . . .

"Don't give the idea its over!" Tayzee snapped.

"Well sorry that they happen to like us more that you, foo!"

"Oooo, what now! NOT IN THEIR HOUSE!" shouted Jerry. Hayzee just sweat dropped and flipped through his script.

"Er…whatever, but we're headed into the climax scene, so keep it real, people! And Luigi- go stand just outside the door so that people can at least get somewhat of a glimpse of you."

Luigi sighed. "Sure…because I'm really needed for THIS one!"

"ACTION, people! ACTION!"

. . . . . .

Prickle scrambled out as Tails pulled up the curtain (only to be yelled at by Hayzee because he didn't it too diagonally) until he was standing in the shack. He held the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness up high, as he rehearsed, trying to figure out its secrets.

"Blast! It seems I am unable to solve the mystery…oh well, for I will place it on my head and gain its powers anyway."

"Stop right there, fiend!" cried Hayzee, nearly breaking down the door and jumping into the air. Prickle screamed, genuinely, and was easily knocked to the floor like a bowling pin. Meta Knight, Bow, and Conroy piled in moments later.

"No! Why has this happened!" Prickle wailed out pathetically. "I knew you would come, yet I didn't stop you! WHY! And now…I feel so weak…"

Conroy pointed a flipper at him and growled. "It's your fault…that hat made you socially aware…you are to blame for the consequences! And tomorrow…you'll never see the sunrise AGAIN!"

"NOOOOOOOoooo! You can't possibly do me in! Remember our friendship!" It was a desperate attempt to get out of the situation, and Prickle was going to take it. Meta Knight then stepped up, glancing down at Prickle with disgust.

"Hmph. What friendship? The only thing I remember is being used to get to the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness…"

Bow sniffled and threw herself into Meta Knight's arms. "Oh, why…WHY did you put on that fiery hat of social awareness? You have become so self-conscious, so conflicted, and so misunderstood…you couldn't have just gotten an icy cold hood of physical isolation instead, could you?"

Meta Knight shook his head. "It wasn't my fault…I did not choose the hat- the hat, it chose me…"

"But look what trouble it's caused! It ruined what little with had with the pathetic soul on the floor…"

She snuggled closer to Meta Knight, hoping her act was very convincing.

"Oh, my darling…no matter what becomes of this incident, I shall stand by your side til the very bitter sweet fiery end…I promise…"

Meta Knight, a little more comfortable than last time, wrapped his arms around Bow, who didn't seem as hesitant- but it still showed quite a bit.

"Awww…" went the audience. Meta Knight rolled his eyes.

Hayzee growled, turned toward Prickle, and stuck a fist out toward him.

"Hand over the hat, and perhaps I, the great Red Miracle, may spare you."

Prickle pretended to grumble something as he handed up the flaming cap. Hayzee took it, gave a nod, then kicked Prickle in the 5th part, causing a female yelp to cry out. Hayzee gave Prickle a look until he covered it up with a cough. Hayzee then threw up his hands, summoning a tornado, and Bunia tore through the stage, making a whirling sound and crashing into Prickle. Then, once the commotion settled, Tails turned on a spotlight and aimed it a Hayzee as he bent down and held the hat out to Meta Knight.

"I believe this belongs to you…" he whispered. Meta Knight took it, but then sighed.

"No. The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness belongs to no one."

And he blew out the flame, all the lights fading.

. . . . . .

"AAAIII! One scene left! Let's end this with _style_, folks!" Hayzee blared through that megaphone of his. "I really think we've got a good chance of getting this thing IN DA BAG YO!"

Everyone stared at Hayzee he clapped his hands to get them to get moving. Tails and Torque moved like lightning, changing the scene from a shack to the scene in Scene 2, with Luigi taking his position beside the road. As the group stared sadly at each other, though proud, Malon and Blooey stepped out to so their soft ending number. The audience started tearing up at the very sight! Hayzee rubbed his hands together eagerly.

. . . . . .

"There's a hat of fiery that's aware socially…" Malon sang quietly, setting the mood.

Blooey shook his head to the beat, adding, "Yeah no lie… No lie…"

"A burning desire in the form of a cap, it was the source of a kidnap! And now, to recap…"

"The Fiery Hat of Social Awareness…is no…more!"

The lights went dark on the duo, and Tails then changed it to Meta Knight and the gang.

"So, it's all over now, right?" Meta Knight asked.

Bow nodded. "Yes, at last, it's over…"

"That stupid traitor will never try to pull another move like that!" yelled Conroy, shaking a fist. "…hopefully.

Hayzee then thoughtfully said, "This has me thinking…could the secret of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness be the fact that you know you have a flame on your head, you instantly seem to know everything that's going on around you due to the fact of being paranoid?" pondered the Red Miracle.

Meta Knight shook his head. "...no. Let's go with, the Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness, is trying to figure out what the mystery is."

He then took Bow's hands, removed his mask (while being faced away from the crowd), and simply leaned in and made lip contact. Bow closed her eyes and tried to bear it., while at the same time attempting to make it seem real. The crowd went wild, jumping the air and applauding. Prickle then tried to slither up and snag the hat again. Tails, doing his job as stage crew, dropped a bag of sand into Prickle's head, causing the Pokey to fall onto the floor. Torque managed the spotlight to blind him, and then the curtain fell. Prickle just growled and jumped up.

"Okay! That is IT! I'm tired of keeping up this act!"

"You don't have to! The play is over!" Hayzee called. Prickle stared at the flower and hissed.

"That's _not_ what I meant!"

To the audience's horror-and thinking the play was still going on- Prickle suddenly collapsed into the nine different pieces, and finally, the Rainbow Fuzzy Brigade was known to the world once more. Hyper started bouncing around like mad, but was restrained by White and Silver.

"WANNA BEAT!"

"Not yet, meeeork!"

"It's those things again!" Tails gasped, jumping down from the support beam. Malon ran after him, Meta Knight threw on his mask, swooped away from Bow, and brandished his sword. Luigi the Grass stood up, secretly thankful for some action, and groaned.

"You guys are still trying to exact your revenge on me?" he whined.

Hayzee sped-read through a stack of papers and panicked. "This isn't in the script…but it's good!"

"Who ARE they?" wondered Conroy.

"Yeah, they look kinda loony…" Bunia threw in.

"What happened to Prickle! ?" panicked Tayzee. "He was going to make me a star!"

"You may have thought we were a Pokey with an unaverage height…" Green began to explain.

"…and apparently had an anger problem…" murmured Blue.

"…but we're really the Rainbow Fuzzy Brigade!" cackled Black. He jumped into the audience, snagged the Dramalama Plaque, and tore the Marvelous Compass Piece off. Everyone one gasped dramatically. "Meeeork-ork-ork-ork! What do you have to say about THIS, Team Luigi?"


	34. Rainbow Fuzzy Brigade: Always Stubborn

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 33: Rainbow Fuzzy Brigade: Always Stubborn

"How did we not see this coming!" Malon exclaimed.

"I know! That was a _terrible_ costume!" Hayzee agreed.

"I think she means how she couldn't tell it was them in the first place…" sighed Meta Knight.

"It doesn't matter if we knew or not! We're taking these chumps out!" Tails yelled.

"The kid always knows!" chuckled Torque.

Black Fuzzy just snickered and took a fighting position. "You want that compass piece? TOO BAD!"

"All I did was step on you!" Luigi defended.

"Well, that was one step in the wrong direction, that's for sure! We followed you here knowing you were after it, and we've suffered enough humiliation just to get here, and we're certainly not going down as easy as you think!"

"C'mon! Let's fight already!" Blooey and Jerry complained.

"Yeah! Let's do this!" cheered Hayzee, striking a battle pose. Team Luigi all turned and gawked at him. "…what?"

"**You're** fighting?"

Hayzee struck a pose. "I may seem like more of a play man, but I've done a bit of fighting in my day…"

"Can we just start already!" Hyper asked, overanxiously and jumped around like a Chain Chomp. Luigi gave a short nod and nudged for Hayzee to join his side.

_Hayzee:_

_HP: 25  
__Moves:  
__Lullaby (Put enemies to sleep and causes damage)  
__Run Away (1 FP-guarantees a run away from battles)_

_Special Ability: Makes enemies fall asleep, causing a quick getaway._

"Yeah, it seems like you've been REAL helpful…" Blooey trailed sarcastically.

"I'm sure I'll be an asset though," smirked Meta Knight.

_Meta Knight:_

_HP: 30  
__FP: 20  
__Moves:  
__Simple Slice (4 atk)  
__Tornado (6 atk, 3 FP- makes enemies dizzy if successful)  
__Dive Stab (8 atk, 5 FP)_

_Special ability: Can fly to certain heights to retrieve things, or team up with Tails to carry the team over gaps_

Luigi gulped and looked over the Rainbow Fuzzy Brigade. Every color they had faced before were there, Black, Green, Pink, Gold, Blue, Red, White, and Silver, but now they had the addition of the light green Hyper Fuzzy, and it was looking pretty strong. Again, Luigi started the battle off by defeating Black right off the bat. You'd think they'd get stronger…

"ARGH! Completely unfair!" Black hissed.

"It's not our fault you're a weakling!" Torque called.

Hayzee then spun around and sang the classic Dayzee tune, getting Green, Pink, and Gold to fall asleep and suffer damage but not the others. Gold was at 7 HP now, while Green and Pink both had only 4. With the first three asleep, it was Red's turn to go. He ended up biting Hayzee, but then instantly reeled back and started coughing up petals.

"Yeeeaaachhh…you're the worst partner I've ever tasted, meeeork!"

"Take that, fiend!" Blooey laughed, getting pleasure from the incident. Blue let out his inhumane screech and started bouncing from Luigi to Hayzee and back again until he did so three times. He snickered as he returned, satisfied with his attack. Silver's eyes darted around as he tried to choose a target- Meta Knight seemed suitable! He aimed his zero gravity power at him. But Meta Knight swooped upwards to avoid it, then countered by crashing back down with his sword, Galaxia.

"Never think I am weak. I could read it in your eyes…" Meta Knight murmured as warning. Silver's head spun around- he had suffered a chunk of half his HP- which was 16 starting off!

"Don't let them beat you that easily!" howled Black. "**MEEEEEE-ORK!** Man, I've been dying to do that again!"

"Again, how did we miss the signs!" gaped Malon.

"No time worrying about the past, keep your mind on the fight," stated Meta Knight, watching his opponent's moves. White was up next, and recalling even though it appeared innocent, it still had quite the move.

"…_MEEEEE_**OOORRKKK!"**

Everyone screamed and jumped out of the way as four major lightning bolts struck the stage, luckily missing all of them completely. Meta Knight made sure Tails was safe while Luigi did the same for Malon.

"You guys are all right?" they asked at the same time. Malon and Tails stood up simultaneously.

"Hello! We were chucked into a wall and hung by our…well, tails both ways kinda. I'm sure we can handle skidding across and floor," Malon snapped. "…but at least you're concerned. That's nice."

Luigi gave a sideways smile and quickly turned back to the fight. All the Fuzzies had taken their turn…except Hyper.

"_Meeeeee_-fork! Er, wait…_Meeeee_-New York! No…_Meeeeee_-snork? AW WHATEVER! Get ready for my signature MOVE!"

Hyper used Charge. It wasn't very effective…

"…okay. Well, get ready to see MY signature move!" Malon exclaimed, using Reality Song. The up and down changes in the music ended up making it so the Fuzzies' attack was lower. "Score! Go, Blooey!"

Blooey used Torpedo Throw- which was Super Effective, considering it hit all the remaining Fuzzies and taking 4 each. Green and Pink fainted, Gold had 4, Red 10, Blue 11, White 16, Silver 4, and Hyper…21!

_"Meeee_-hee? Whatever- I AM STRONGER THAN MOST YOU KNOW!" Hyper wailed. "_Juuuuuuuuust_ wait…"

Gold rolled up and bit Malon, restoring 2 HP (remember, attack was down), Red bit Blooey with glee and gained all his HP back (which was only 14-he wasn't really effected), Blue only managed to strike Malon and Blooey once each, Blooey dodged Silver's attack, and everyone ran away again to avoid White's. As Malon turned back around, she expected Hyper to attack, but even worse…he raised his attack even more! And worse…it appeared he wasn't effected by Malon's reality song.

"Great…" Malon groaned as Tails dove into battle, armed with his wrench. It may have been weaker, but it was always a sure hit when he used it! He crashed down on Gold, completely doing him in, then gave Red and Blue a Tail Spin as he turned around to head back. Red and Blue suffered 5 each, due to not being prepared for that at all. Torque used Screw Up on White, using his arsenal of tools to really do a number on the Fuzzy- that number being exactly 4, on account of White had a slightly higher defense, like Torque himself.

"Drat…" grunted Torque as Red dove in and tried to take a bite out of him. The lowered attack plus Torque's defense rendered his attack useless, and Red ended up with some hurt teeth- to Blooey's joy. Blue attempted his "Multi-Bounce" but it was stopped short by Torque's torque, plus he lost 1 point of HP. Torque perked up a little as Tails confidently said, "Sometime defense is better than offense!"

Silver, angry that he hadn't been able to land a hit during the entire boss fight (and infuriating Black beyond belief), quickly aimed a zero gravity beam at Torque, since everyone seemed to be targeting him. He sent the Buzzy high in the air, then just let him drop to the ground for a significant amount of damage. Tails instantly went to see if he was fine, but they were both shocked by White, snickering.

"THAT'S how it's done, meeeee-ork!" cackled Black.

Tails became paralyzed from the blast, only able to look out and see what Hyper was going to do. Again, Hyper charged.

_"He must have some strategy…"_ he mused in his head. Malon instantly screamed "TAILS!" until Luigi explained it wasn't lethal paralysis and it would wear off in a few turns. Now only with Red, Blue, Silver, White, and Hyper, it wasn't long until they had this battle in the bag! Meta Knight unsheathed his sword and performed a tornado-like attack, to Bunia's great surprise.

"Cool- he looks like me!"

Meta Knight took HP out of only Red and Blue, but it was enough to send them down to 1. Jerry then trotted up and used Cherry Bomb, finishing Red and Blue, and nearly taking out Silver.

"Yeah! That's how you top off such a sweet move- WITH A CHERRY!" dissed Jerry.

"Talk about a Link joke…" snickered Malon.

"Oh yeah? Well here's a real joke for youse!" yelled White, taking Silver's turn and crying out with an even louder scream. Team Luigi and even the audience had to cover their ears before the heroes were stuck with an even harsher bolt of lightning. Silver then picked up Jerry and swung him into a wall. Meta Knight cringed at the sight of Jerry, then turned to Hyper. Hyper was not going to Charge. But, was WHAT he going to-

"Emittion Drain!" he cried as a sudden shockwave emitted from his body. It washed over team Luigi, taking 9 out of their HP, thanks to all the charges. Now the partners were nearly ready to faint and the actual heroes were feeling a bit weak. Luigi meekly pulled out his compass and grinned.

"I've still got one trick up my sleeve…Eastern Wind!"

Silver, White, and Hyper all cringed at that- they knew what it had done to Tayzee before! Just as they went to escape, the wind blew in from the east, sent them upwards, then brought them back down hard, finishing Silver, taking White down to 3 and Hyper to 12.

"Oooog…I don't feel so good about this, meeeeork…" grumbled White. Black growled.

"Keep pushing it! We can't lose now!"

"Oh, but I believe you can!" Hayzee interrupted before singing his lullaby, putting the Fuzzies to sleep. Now they were completely vulnerable.

"Oooh! Malon! Can I finish White off?" Blooey asked.

"go right ahead!"

"YES!"

Blooey torpedoed into the duo, defeating White and bringing Hyper to 7. Malon went to attack, but Meta Knight stopped her.

"You, um…you wouldn't mind if I dealt the final blow, would you?"

Malon grinned. "Of course not! Go for it!"

Meta Knight gave a nod and flew for Hyper. The light green fuzzy's eyes fluttered open, the last thing it saw before blacking out being the golden tip of a sword. Team Luigi cheered as Meta Knight struck a heroic pose, and all the play members (even a reluctant Tayzee) joined in for a giant congratulation ceremony. The crowd still thought it was part of the play, so they stood up and started cheering like crazy- which was natural, since most WERE Crazee Dayzees anyway. The runner of the Dramalama Slam removed the Compass Piece from Black's possession, then place it back on the plaque.

"Aaaarrgh…whatever. I knew we wouldn't win anyway…" grunted Black as the rest of the brigade got up. "Mark my words, Luigi. You and all your little friends WILL BE going DOWN!"

"Ooo…_just leave me alone_!" whimpered Luigi. Hayzee sang his song to send the Fuzzies to sleep, and Conroy, Bow, and Bunia were quick to sweep them right off the stage.

"WHAT AN ENDING!" That very same kid blared, causing a massive uproar to emit from the crowd. Everyone just stood around, a bit shocked.

"Well? Aren't you going to bow?"

Everyone shrugged, and Luigi, Hayzee, Malon, Blooey, Tails, Torque, Jerry, Meta Knight, Bow, Conroy, Bunia, Jackson, and Tayzee, Mayzee, and Layzee all took in their applause.

. . . . . . . . .

"Oh my gosh! You're singing was beautiful!" "I can't believe it!" "I wish I had your voice…"

"You stage crewing was so amazing!" "Yeah, it wasn't flashy, but it had more of a simple flare…" "AND YOU'RE REALLY CUTE!"

"I don't think I've EVER seen such a dramatic actor…" "It must've been just SO painful to deal with all those lines…" "He sure pulled it off okay!"

Malon, Tails, and Meta Knight just grinned and took in all the compliments they were accumulating. Apparently their simple story/play in general attracted a lot of attention- and especially Tails, because he was getting hugged and poked and nearly pulled apart until Malon nearly threatened them with a Boot Bash. Luigi, however, sulked in the corner because it was simply obvious that grass didn't deserve a little love. They praised for every one but him (even TAYZEE had a few mentions, which he blew out of proportion completely…) continued until the runner of the Dramalama Slam stepped up to a podium. The directors, Hayzee, Ray-Z, a green Shy Guy with sunglasses and a beret (the director of Star Wars) and some sort of walking doll- a species native to the Waffle Kingdom- came and sat down in the ground.

"Ahem! Please, settle people…" the runner, began. Everything instantly went dead silent. "Now, we've been presented with a whole day full of marvelous plays, but as you know, only one may win…"

Hayzee nearly went into a breakdown as Ray-Z and the green Shy Guy seemed highly confident.

"We can tell you here and now that "A Really Super Gushy Love Story That 80% of Girls Will Love!" came in last due to the overload of controversy it created-"

Fans and haters instantly prepared for a war until they were threatened to be hit with a tranquilizer dart. Once they were calm, the guy cleared his throat and continued.

"Anyway…third was "Star Wars: The Musical!", not winning because of the unoriginality."

The green Shy Guy began to cry as Ray-Z's grin grew broader. Hayzee was gnawing on his petals.

"…and in first…"

There wasn't a single sound of even breathing in the room.

"…would have been "My Last Tomorrow", until we found traces of copyright, despite being such a great play, so in that case, the winner of the Dramalama Slam is "The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness!"

Ray-Z's jaw dropped to the floor as Hayzee sprung up like a sunrise.

"What now, Ray-Z? Or should I say Ray-L, since L stands for **LOSER!"**

"Uh, Hello?"

"Sorry Luigi…BUT I'M SO HAPPY! MY DREAM CAME TRUE! :D"

He was up at the podium within seconds, receiving the Dramalama Plaque moments later. He nearly fainted, until he remembered he promised to give Team Luigi the plaque. Hayzee called Luigi over, who sluggishly made his way over, took the plaque, muttered thanks, then left. Hayzee blinked, then called for an after party. Everyone was down with that.

**Later-**

Where there once was a scene of an award winning play was the source of one swinging party. Everyone was having fun, giving and receiving autographs, and eating punch and cookies Bunia whipped up out of nowhere. Malon, Tails, and Meta Knight were absorbing a little of the attention while Ray-Z, desperate for a comeback, hired the Dayzee Trio for a role in his next play, "The Past Not Forgotten". Luigi leaned against a wall, feeling really bummed about everything and spinning the plaque around in his hands. At last, his friends broke away from the crowd and ended up right next to him.

"Having fun?" he asked emptily. The threesome exchanged glances.

"Would it bad to say sort of?" Malon asked cautiously.

"It's not everyday we're the ones not in the shadow of a hero, and we're getting the attention!" added Tails. Malon and Meta Knight gave him a look, prompting him to smack himself in the face. Even Luigi's mustache sagged.

"…go, go enjoy it. Don't let me stop you. I'm obviously not worthy of having fans…"

"Aw, Luigi, don't say that!" Malon pleaded.

"If anyone deserves fans, it'd be you, Luigi…" Meta Knight said truthfully.

Luigi just sighed and wandered out the back door. Again, his friends tried to stop him but they were swept away by their massive amount of fans. Luigi looked back, sighed, then stood out in the cold backstreet of Jazzafrazz Town.

"Aw man, I really got hosed this time…" he murmured to himself. Then he gave a dry chuckle. "Great. I just burned myself. Hosed. Grass gets hosed. Ha ha."

_"Hahahahahahahaha!"_

"WHAT THE-?"

Luigi sprung into the air at the sound of laughter coming from nowhere, afraid he was stuck in a really bad sitcom or something. Looking down, he saw a TON of green Crazee Dayzees- but not just any green, Luigi Grass green!

"LOOK! IT'S THE GRASS!" "Oh man, I LOVED how he swayed in the wind!" "And look at that color! He sure prunes himself well!"

"Wait…" Luigi began as he came back down. "You're MY fans?"

"Of course! The fans of that tornado that was only seen once in the entire play are swarming him right now!"

"Everything has a fan!"

"…then why are you out here? I was all set to sulk, you know!"

"We were locked out by some crazed fuzzy things- apparently they didn't want to you getting praise for "beating them senseless" or something."

Luigi clenched a fist. "Dang Fuzzies…"

"Hooray for grass!" "Go grass!" "GRASS RULES!"

"Okay, okay…let's go!"

Luigi opened the door, now that it was unlocked, and rejoined the party. He glanced up at the podium: empty, perfect. He started rushing up there, looking awfully excited.

"Attention! Hey…**I've got something to say!" **Luigi announced. The crowd of partiers settled down and became interested with what Luigi had to say. His team was standing in the front, surprised to see him rush up in front of a bunch of people, with the Grass Fans right behind them.

"Uh, hi…it's me, the insignificant grass from "The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness?" Yeah, you probably don't know me- except the grass fans over there. You can't miss them."

The Grass Fans waved.

"Anyway, I…I just wanted to say something. I was feeling really down about being a little, unimportant piece of grass in a huge production…but apparently the stars didn't want me bringing myself down so they gave me a few fans to boost my morale. I only sulked for about 10 minutes."

"Where's he going with this…" Tails whispered.

Malon shushed him. "Just wait…"

Meta Knight watched with interest.

"You know, playing the role of grass has taught me something...while a Red Miracle is running around saving the day, there is always a blade of grass, lying on the side of the road, wishing he could, just once, know what its like to be that miracle. But instead, he just stays in the same spot, not moving, not getting noticed." he then smiled. "You wanna know what I've learned? Grass cannot be the Red Miracle. Grass must be the absolute best grass can possibly be. Maybe he won't be as great as that Red Miracle, but by gum, he will get noticed for something..._even if he fails_...but he'll be known for at least trying!"

He held up the Dramalama Plaque, receiving several cheers. Hayzee seemed extremely touched while Meta Knight suddenly felt compelled to go up there next to him.

"Way to go Luigi!" called Malon, rushing up next to Luigi. Tails laughed and joined in too. The partners just grumbled among themselves, but followed nevertheless.

"We told you!" they both teased in unison.

Luigi grinned. "Yeah, I know. And it obviously didn't take very much to change my mind either…"

"I just can't believe you got up here in front of everyone…"

"Ha ha. I'm not that cowardly…am I?" Blooey opened his mouth. Wait- no! Don't answer that!"

"Just take the Compass Piece…"

Malon and Tails now stood next to a energized Luigi as he placed the next piece of the compass into the base, leading them to a place called Rapturous Ruins in the Grimble Forest. The shockwave ran up Luigi's arm, teaching him the Compass Move Down South.

"Well look at that! We go from a big city to a forest!" chuckled Jerry.

"How...interesting..." murmured Meta Knight, approaching them with caution.

"Oh hey Meta. "Luigi stated. "what's up?"

"There's...uh...something I need to ask of you."

"Shoot."

Meta Knight did nothing for a moment, then suddenly bent down. "I would be honored if you would allow me to join you on your quest. There is potential in you, Luigi, and I would not be ashamed at all if I took orders from you."

Luigi did a double take. "**You** wouldn't...be ashamed...to be led by _me?_ Whoa..."

"It's true. There's something about you, Luigi. Something that no one else seems to have..."

"An idiot brain?" snickered Blooey to the partners, only to get hit by Malon.

"Oh well, even though I have...something...you don't have to go all dramatic on me, Meta Knight. You just had to ask!"

"Yeah! We'd be happy to have you join!" threw in Tails.

"Hooray! A new member!" exclaimed Malon.

Meta Knight looked genuinely surprised. "You'd be happy to have me?"

"Of course! We were almost afraid that we'd end up leaving without you!" Luigi admitted. He held up the compass. "…and our next destination seems to be Rapturous Ruins in the Grimble Forest!"

"Ooo! I can tell that'll be full of adventure!" Malon sighed happily. "I think all this play business has fried up our minds!"

"Yeah…but for now, let's just party!" Tails laughed. "We won a competition, we've got another compass piece, and we've officially made a new friend. It's definitely worth celebrating!"

"Again, the kid is always right!" chuckled Torque.

"I'm going for some of those cookies!" called Blooey, stalking off to a food table. Jerry, who didn't want to be alone, just followed after. Team Luigi, now INCLUDING Meta Knight, started to dance, planning to look ahead on their bright future rather than their hectic past.

But, as they didn't yet know, would be able to see just what their future held…


	35. Around the Huckleberry Bush

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 34: Around the Huckleberry Bush

Éclair sat on the bed. Staring out the window. Holding the music box. It was raining, like it always was, but it seemed even harder than ever before. The princess of the Waffle Kingdom repeatedly opened the music box, listened to the song, closed it, and then listened again. It soothed her; consoled her; made her feel better.

"I'm sorry."

Éclair jumped- she wasn't expecting Huckleberry to speak, let alone those words.

"Why are you sorry?"

Huckleberry floated a good distance away, eyes closed in deep thought. "I've put you in danger during your last mission, and if that wasn't enough…I've made you cry twice."

"Huckleberry…the first time I just didn't know better, and the second…I was happy. I was glad you found my music box, glad that I could hear the sound of my fiancé again…"

"I guess…but I still feel bad about it." his mauve eyes shot open as he turned to Éclair. "I've asked so much out of you, more than I probably should have…Princess Éclair? Is there anything you wish to ask of me?"

Éclair shut the music box and placed it delicately on the bed stand. "Anything?"

Huckleberry nodded. "Anything. You can make me do something ridiculous, maybe something dangerous, or I could tell you something of the future…or maybe your own future, whether Luigi saves you, the Chestnut King…"

Éclair held up a hand. "That won't be necessary. I have the ability to see the future too, don't I? Maybe not as far as you can, but I'm okay with that. I don't want to know the future. I want it to be left a surprise, and I'm tired of learning things I shouldn't…"

"Okay, then."

"I want to know your past," Éclair said with a light smile. "Maybe you can look in the opposite direction."

She continued to grin, but Huckleberry's expression was flat. Éclair frowned and cocked her head.

"What's wrong? Can you not remember the past because you can see the future or something?"

Huckleberry shook his head, face never faltering. "Oh, quite the contraire, Éclair…I remember the past well. Too well. So well, I wish I did not remember it…"

"You said I could ask anything, so I'm asking: what was your past like? You were sent here to make sure I get through this situation okay-so help me by telling me!"

_"All right!"_Huckleberry snapped sharply and coldly, making Éclair's eyes widen and causing her to crawl as far away from Huckleberry as she could get on the bed. Huckleberry realized what he did and gasped. "Auh! I'm sorry! Really, I am! Please, I'm not mad at you…just…thinking about what happened upsets me greatly."

Éclair inched back over and grabbed Huckleberry's arm. "Please, tell me. I'd truly like to know. But, if it upsets you so much that you don't want to, then I understand-"

"I said all right, didn't I?" Huckleberry cut her off with a smirk. Éclair gasped and sat up straight, not going to be rude. The Luff spirit then sighed and took his usual sitting position in the air. "Okay…this might drone a little, but, you wanted to know, you must know everything…"

"Of course…"

_A long time ago…a thousand years, in fact, existed a prosperous empire known as the Luff Empire. This empire was flawless, with no pain, no violence…just peace and love and happiness. This empire was ruled by a single king, and though he never did anything to upset the perfection, I could always tell he was completely nuts._

Huckleberry scowled slightly before beginning the next part.

_I had a brother. I was the only Luff in the entire kingdom that had a younger brother. Everyone else was either an only child or had a little sister. I had a little brother. The simple fact there were two boys to one family was extraordinary, and my brother was instantly declared "special". The Luff Council knew this too- they could sense a certain magic emitting from him, but they didn't have a clue what his role was to be. Me, I just adored my little brother. So did everyone else. But the thing about my brother was that he looked up to _me_. There were others better suited to be his role model, but he picked me. He told me it wasn't just because I was his brother, it was because I was special too._

Éclair smiled and clasped her hands together. "You were your brother's role model! That's so sweet!"

Huckleberry shrugged. "Yeah…but I wasn't a very good one…"

"What do you mean?"

_The mere fact my brother even had a role in the future of our Luff people drew the council mad. They had to know what it was. So they read up on magic and future sights and spells and fortune telling and things like that, and applied it into one, single, object- the Marvelous Compass. The first time they used its power to find the direction my brother was going to take, they were appalled to see him sitting in the ruins of our empire, surrounded by nothing but white- and a piece of a fractured compass. The council managed to discover that the Luff Empire would soon fall, and they worked to get the Compass to tell them how so they could possibly prevent it. But the Compass wouldn't show them…_

"Why? The Marvelous Compass was said to show the future with ease!" exclaimed Éclair.

"Yes it does…but the Compass didn't need to show them how the empire was going to fall…because it was going to happen the next day."

_Of course, word got to our screwed up king about the foretelling powers of the compass, and he had plans to use that power to take over the world. As the council was still trying to figure out why the Compass wouldn't show them how the empire was going to fall, the king requested to look at the compass. Being the king, they couldn't reject, and handed it over. The moment the king touched it, the Marvelous Compass cursed him because his heart wasn't pure, like I had always thought. Now corrupted, the king started to take over the world, but what ended up happening was the curse spread throughout the empire, and many died…_

Éclair gasped. "Is…is that how you-"

Huckleberry shook his head. "No. My 'death' was worse…"

_I was playing with my little brother in the forest surrounding our home, when the curse started spreading. Our parents fell instantly, but for some reason my brother and I weren't affected. We stopped playing instantly and ran to figure out what was going on. We found the council, struggling to fight the curse, while other Luffs were crying at the fate destined to the entire world. They were cursed with the knowing of the future. The council told my brother it was almost time for him to fulfill his fate when _**he**_ showed up._

The last part was said with acid, and Éclair cringed.

_That twisted king, who wasn't aware of what my brother was meant to do, thought he was meant to stop his reign of taking over the world. He threatened to kill him, and I took action. I attacked the king, but only resulted in getting myself cursed. I still had the protection, however, and I didn't go mad like the others. Now that I think, I believe it was my brother who kept me from going insane. Cursed I still was, and I fell weakly to the ground. The last time I saw my brother…his red violet eyes were just full of fear. I whispered for him to run. The king, who now wished death upon me instead, ignored my brother and dropped the compass. My brother picked up the compass, and not knowing what else to do, broke it into pieces and somehow managed to scatter them. He kept one and ran off, the piece he took protecting him from the curse further more._

Huckleberry stopped floating and sat on the bed, hanging his head sadly. "The piece he had contained Magnetic Field, which not only prevented him from being cursed, it kept him alive for the last thousand years. And what happened to the rest of the Luffs? Well, the king just went into the shadows, thinking of revenge, one member of the council went completely power-mad, and she took down an entire city a few days after the cursing, the rest of the people sucumbed to the curse, and me…the king killed me."

Éclair's eyes were watering as she threw her arms around Huckleberry. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard! I'm _so_ sorry for making you remember..."

Huckleberry shrugged as if it was nothing, but his choked up voice betrayed him, "It's o-okay…"

"That king…you, you said he was waiting for revenge like he was still alive!"

"That's because he is. I just don't know where he went…" he half lied. He knew just where he was, and Huckleberry was going to protect Éclair from him with every inch of power he had.

"It's not fair he gets to live and you don't…"

"At least my brother is still alive…" he gave a weak smile. "A thousand years old…and this year, he'll finally fulfill that future sight…and then it's over for him too."

"What does your brother look like? And what's his name?"

"Just like me, but with mahogany hair and red violet eyes…and a smile that was like the sun in the middle of summer…"

Huckleberry started dropping tears and collapsed into Éclair's arms.

"…and his name…" he choked out in-between sniffles. "…was…Cranberry…"

* * *

**Wow, talk about an emotional blow...sniff... aw, who am I kidding? POOR HUCKLEBERRY!**

**but can you make the connections?**


	36. Delve into Grimble

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 35: Delve into Grimble

"…so yeah. That's why we need to leave." Luigi explained to Bow, Bunia, Conroy, Jackson, and Hayzee.

"We'd stay a bit longer if we could," Malon admitted. "But there's still someone who needs to be saved!"

"Of course! Don't I understand THAT!" chuckled Bow. "Besides, I was going to explore more of the area anyway."

"Oh, I'd LOVE to come with you, but I'm just too timid and shy…and occasionally uncontrollable." murmured Bunia. "So, I'll give you a huge parting gift!"

"Aw, you don't have to that-" Tails began, until Bunia suddenly whipped out a whopping 18 Shine Sprites. Jerry saw how many he had and nearly fainted.

"Where did you_ find_ all those?" Luigi asked, wide eyed. Bunia shrugged.

"Meh, I've been around. I guess collecting them has been the only thing I've been good at…until I joined acting! Woo!"

"We can seriously have these?" Torque asked. Bunia nodded. "YES! Now I can get leveled up!"

The Spunia handed the sprites to Luigi as everyone else just sort of stared at each other.

"Well, it sure was nice working with you guys…" Conroy trailed.

"Yeah, I may not have been around much, but what can you do? I'm a Ninji- I HAVE to stay in the shadows!" shrugged Jackson.

Luigi gave a smile and turned to Hayzee. "What about you? You really haven't said anything…"

Hayzee sighed. "Okay, uh, this is kind of hard to say but…I'm…sorry for casting you as grass. It wasn't fair, but…at least you got something positive out of it, right?"

"That's okay- I was really upset, but I'm good now!"

"Isn't _that_ the truth…" murmured Meta Knight.

"Um, yeah, there's…another thing…" Hayzee was really stammering now. "I…want…to go with…you-"

"WHOA WHOA WOAH_ WAIT_…" Blooey blared, making his way up to Hayzee with Jerry and Torque in tow. "The **only** way to can join **our** team is if you **hate** Luigi, just like the rest of **us**!"

"Yeah!" echoed Jerry and Torque. Hayzee cocked his head.

"But, I _don't_ hate Luigi-"

"HE'S A PARTNER!" yelled Luigi, almost grabbing Hayzee and dragging him back to the boat.

"No! You can't! You'll break the delicate cycle of partners hating you! LUIGI!"

"I think it'll be nice to have a non-hating partner," Malon said, patting Hayzee. "Though it will be weird giving orders to the one who ordered us…"

"Which makes me think-why DO you want to come, Hayzee?"

Hayzee smiled. "Aw, just craving a little adventure…but you never know when you'll be inspired for a new play! Maybe you can all can perform in a sequel!"

"I bet it'll be "The Puzzle of the Freezing Shoe of Self Consciousness"!" cackled Conroy.

"Urgh, let's just go before the jokes gets any worse…" sighed Tails. He then perked up. "But at least we can see Bosco and tell him all about our recent 'venture!"

"Who's Bosco?" Meta Knight asked.

"He's the guy who drives our ship! He's really cool and old and wise and everything! C'mon! you can meet him!"

"Uhhh-"

Tails instantly grabbed and pulled Meta Knight away, as Luigi grabbed hold of Hayzee and darted away from his other angry partners. Malon was the only one who stuck around to say goodbye to the others before taking off too.

. . . . . . . . . .

"We're BAAAAAAAAACK!" Tails and Luigi called as they entered the ship. Bosco, sitting in his seat as if he never moved, gave them an old man smile.

"Am I to believe that you have acquired a new member?"

Luigi was surprised. "How'd you know?"

"Call it an old man's intuition. So who is the fellow?"

Meta Knight stepped in, eyes betraying the fact that he certainly _wasn't_ expecting an old man- Tails' description didn't seem to apply at the moment. Bosco saw the look on what he could see of Meta Knight's face and laughed.

"This is Meta Knight- behind the mask, he actually is a pretty nice guy!" Malon introduced.

"Hm, Sir Meta Knight huh? Welcome aboard the S.S. Lass!"

Meta Knight bowed. "Thank you ever so."

"And then we've got Hayzee!" threw in Tails, bringing the Crazee Dayzee.

"Next thing you know we'll be needing a boat extension!" Bosco exclaimed, though jokingly.

"Anyway Bosco, we've gotta head back to Rogueport to level the partners a little, and then we'll need to head to Frogfield to see where to get to Grimble Forest from…" Luigi explained.

"Oh, I know quite a bit about that place…" Bosco began as he pulled out from the port. "It's beyond Princess Éclair's garden in the back of her castle. There's a huge white gate you need to get by though, and you'll need a Purple Pass to get by."

"And we get this from Monterey Jack- I mean, Dynamite, right?" Tails asked. Bosco twitched a little at the name of Monterey Jack, but nodded in Tails' direction.

"Yeah. Believe it or not, the Jack family is fairly close to the royal one."

"Hey Bosco…" Malon began, a hint of curiosity in her tone, "…you seem to know a bit about the Jack family, right?"

Bosco nodded. "Of course! I was great friends with them in my younger years."

"Does Monterey Jack have a daughter, like the rumors say?"

"Or in other words, does Pepper Jack have a granddaughter?" questioned Luigi.

"…not that I know of," was the slightly delayed reply. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because in every lie is a little bit of the truth!" Tails said cheekily.

"Huh. Who told you that?"

"Monterey."

"This sounds like a really cheesy family…" murmured Meta Knight, getting Jerry to start cracking up. Bosco seemed to lose the twinkle in his eye as he drove the ship. Luigi noticed this and decided it was simply a touchy subject for him. Instead, he turned to Blooey and his gang of the partners hosting another "We Hate Luigi!" club meeting.

"Okay, let's see…we've already had our daily grilled cheese- what's next on the list member Jerry?" Blooey asked. Jerry flipped through a clipboard and said "Ah." when he reached the page.

"It says we're supposed to convince Hayzee to hate Luigi-"

"Of **_course_**!" Blooey said darkly, circling Hayzee who was deeply terrified at this point. Meta Knight watched, as if it was some sort of ritual, while Luigi went back to hiding his face and Malon and Tails tried to gain some control over their Soul Partners.

"So, tell us, Hayzee…" Torque began as Jerry held a flashlight over Hayzee's head. "…why DON'T you hate Luigi?"

"Look at what he's done to us! US!" Blooey yelled.

"That's you and your problems! I don't have a reason to hate Luigi-"

"But he disrespected the position in your award winning that you gave him!" Torque pointed out.

"I cast him as a prop! I was desperate and it's my fault!"

"No! You've gotta feel the hate!" exclaimed Blooey, unintentionally cuing a music number. "You've gotta hate!"

"Oh woah oh woah…" chimed Jerry and Torque. Blooey jumped on the table and started discoing.

"Oh yeah! Feel the passion of dislike rocket through you! Let it free! Let it _goooooo-"_

"No! no! No! no!" sang Hayzee. "I'll never hate- I state it once!_ You_ let it go-_you_ give it up!"

He then used his trademark ability and put the partners besides himself to sleep.

"…I'm really going to like Hayzee. "Luigi said happily.

"That had to be the most random and the worst performance I've ever seen…" trailed Meta Knight.

"And yet, it's only the beginning Meta Knight…" Tails chuckled.

As much as Meta Knight was beginning to grow attached to them, they were just some things he'd probably never be able to understand about his new team…

. . . . . . . . . . .

When they docked in Rogueport, Meta Knight was appalled by the low, rundown quality of the town.

"How can people _live_ here?" he gawked. Tails shrugged.

"It's the tenth wonder of the worlds, you know…"

Meta Knight just gazed around as Malon said, "All right, so we need to level up Torque and Hayzee, and maybe Blooey and Jerry again, all while Bosco fills up his boat again. Then we head back to the Waffle Kingdom."

"What kingdom are we in now?"

"Mushroom."

"This is where I originate from!" Luigi stated proudly.

"Perhaps I can make a play simply about this place, produce it on Earth Day, and teach people to recycle!" exclaimed Hayzee. "_Wow_, this place is a pigsty!"

"Ooo! I really hope you make an new play- I'd love to be in it!" squealed Malon.

"Me too!" cried everyone else except for Luigi and Meta Knight, who both had enough playing for one time. As Malon, Tails, and the partners started going on about that, Luigi suddenly heard someone call:

"Hey, isn't that Luigi?"

Hearing his name, Luigi glanced over his shoulder as Link ravenously ran toward him, with a worried Mario dashing behind. He maintained his proud look while the rest of his team looked confident as well while still discussing the amazing time they had. Kirby instantly saw Meta Knight and gasped.

"Meta Knight! What're you doing with Luigi?"

Meta Knight sighed. "I happened to run into them, while looking for you, and I've decided to join their quest-"

"He had the main part in the play we entered!" Malon explained, while at the same time interrupting. "Oh Link, it was SO much fun! I got to sing and it was with Blooey-"

"-and I was the Head Stage Crew Sonic!" Tails added.

"Yeah, you should've seen the effects he did!"

"But that was nothing compared to your singing!"

"They were all great actors!" Hayzee explained, just as proud as everyone else. "I was honored to produce the play for them! Meta Knight and Luigi stole the show though! Meta Knight part was so dramatic, and Luigi was a smash hit!"

"…I was grass…"

"Grass!" "Bwahahaha!"

Everyone started cracking up, until Luigi stated he had many "Grass Fans" and Hayzee backed it up saying it was true.

"Oh MAN! I have got to hear THIS story!" Sonic chuckled.

"Well, it's a long story but here it goes…"

**Two hours later-**

"I wish we were there than stranded on a haunted island!" complained Kirby. "By the way…what did that leading role girl look like?"

Meta Knight smirked behind his mask. "She was actually quite pretty! She was a green boo with an interesting laugh and these gorgeous crystal bows-"

_"YOU KISSED MY GIRLFRIEND? I'M GOING TO** KILL** YOU!"_

"Kirby, no!"

As Kirby jumped up to rip Meta Knight's face off, Link and Samus grabbed Kirby's red feet. Malon's jaw dropped.

"_You're_ Bow's boyfriend?"

"So that's who she meant…" mused Torque.

"She was just acting Kirby. I can very much assure you that she's still very attracted to you," Meta Knight stated. Kirby folded his arms as he was released.

"Well, of course she is! We're talking about me here! Cute, pink, and adorable!" he glared at Meta Knight. "…but I still can't believe you kissed her!"

"It was acting!"

"I'll never forgive you! NEVER! YOU'LL PAY-"

"Hey! That's my line!" complained Blooey. Kirby stomped off in a huff.

"I'm heading to the door!"

"You can't get there without Mario!" Vivian called back. "…Oh boy…"

"Well, anyway, where are you guys going next?" Sonic asked.

"We're gonna go to Rapturous Ruins next! We have two more Compass Pieces to retrieve!" Tails explained.

Sonic gave a thumbs up. "Good luck with that, little bro! We'd better catch up with Kirby though…"

"Understood. Good luck Mario!" Luigi stated. Mario gave a nod and led his group to the Thousand Year Door. Once they were gone, they went to focus on their next plan of action. Except for Meta Knight, who was still a bit dazed from nearly being struck over the head by Kirby.

"Sheesh…he really was mad, wasn't he?"

"Of course! When you hear someone makes out with your girlfriend, it tends to cause rage!" Jerry exclaimed. Meta Knight gave him a look as Luigi led the way to Merlon's house- after Team Mario gained the option to up the partners to Ultra.

"Hi there, Merlon ol' pal! We're back!" Luigi called cheerfully. Merlon gave a nod.

"Yes…I foresaw this. Right after Team Mario arrived and I informed them of a message from the stars, I knew you'd come!"

"They were just here?" Tails asked. In fact, they were at Don Pinata's currently, but they wouldn't know **that**…

"Yes, but now YOU'RE here. How may I help you? You may also now up your partners to Ultra, thanks to Team Mario…"

"Sweet! Level 'em all!" cried Malon.

Luigi handed over 18 Shine Spirits (still leaving them with the odd one Tails found in Circuit Break) and Merlon did his magic.

_Blooey-_

_HP: 25_  
_Moves: _  
_Torpedo Throw: (6 atk)_  
_Blooper Distraction: (2 FP, No damage)_  
_Dinky Inky: (3 FP, 5 atk, can also poison, shrink, or make the enemy dizzy)_  
_Blooper Blitz: (7 atk, hit multiple times if successful)_

_Jerry-_

_HP: 25_  
_Moves:_  
_Body Slam (6 atk)_  
_Bomb (3 FP, 7 atk)_  
_Cherry Bomb (6 FP, 8 atk-damages all ground enemies)_  
_Mega Bomb (9 FP, 10 atk-damages ALL enemies)_

Torque-

_HP: 35_  
_Moves:  
Screw Up (6 atk)_  
_Shell Slam (3 FP, 8 atk)_  
_Tool Box (5 FP, atk varies- depends on the tool)_  
_Bash and Batter (8 FP, 10 atk)_

_Hayzee-_

_HP: 35_  
_Moves:_  
_Lullaby (Put enemies to sleep and causes 6 damage)_  
_Run Away (1 FP-guarantees a run away from battles)_  
_Petal Dance (3 FP- raises team defense, attack, and sometimes HP)_  
_Dayzee Tears (5 FP- 8 atk, can poison)_

"There! Now they're all Ultra'd up!" Merlon explained. The partners all shared a high five and did random poses.

"Good! Now we're all set for the Grimble Forest!" Tails cheered.

"We'd better get going then…" trailed Meta Knight. Luigi tipped his hat in Meta Knight's direction.

"Right. Let's roll."

**Back in the Waffle Kingdom-**

Luigi stretched as they stepped off the boat. "ah…the Waffle Kingdom. You have to love the scents of maple syrup! Ooh, I wonder if that's what Princess Éclair's hair smells like…"

Everyone started at Luigi until he said, "What? Something wrong with that?"

"Nah, just sounded a tad weird…"

"Well, anyway, we need to head back to Monterey Jack's- I mean, Dynamite's house to get the Purple Pass, and then head into the castle to get to the garden…" Malon trailed.

"And then we'll probably have to talk to Frog and Frogette…" added Luigi with distain.

"I just hope Dynamite doesn't make me solve some puzzle again…" Tails said, heading toward the large black wall. Meta Knight looked up at the structure and asked, "Uh…we have to fly over that?"

"Yeah…but it'll be easier now that we have two people that can fly!"

"Oh boy…"

Once they reached said wall, Tails took Malon, and Meta Knight took Luigi. Blooey and Jerry somehow gripped to Malon's leg while Hayzee grabbed Luigi's foot and clung tight to Torque as they went up.

"Okay…I was wrong…I think it got harder!" gasped Tails, struggling with Blooey and Jerry shaking everywhere.

"You're telling me!" Meta Knight replied, struggling with Luigi shaking. At last, they made it over the wall, where Malon and Luigi let go (sending the partners flying upwards rather than down…) and used their gravity defying abilities to land safely on the ground, catch the partners, then slap a high five. The celebration was short lived, however- Buster showed up again. Blooey instantly strode up, but Luigi, Tails, and Malon quickly prevented him from doing so.

"Well well well- look who came back! With new friends for me to pound!"

So we meet again, Buster!" Blooey and Luigi bolded stated, then screamed like girls as they ducked under a massive punch.

"Where's Dynamite, Buster?" Malon asked, as always, annoyed at anyone who wouldn't cooperate.

"At the moment he'd be tending to private issues-"

"What private issues?"

"Well, like the one related t-"

"**_BUSTER!_** I've told you before to leave those people alone!" Dynamite shouted as he walked out, sporting his classic black jacket, blue jeans, and cool shoe combo. Buster bowed his head like a puppy that was just scolded and scooted away. Dynamite glared him off, then turned and smiled at the team.

"huh! Well, it's nice to see you guys again! Sorry about Buster- the only reason I have him is to make sure no visitors get near my house to, like, steal something…but anyway! What can I do for you?"

"We need a Purple Pass to get into the Grimble Forest," Meta Knight explained. "We'd be highly grateful if you gave us one."

"Hmmm…Grimble Forest? Why would you want to go there?"

"To get the second-to-last compass piece!" Luigi explained, holding out his compass to prove it.

"But still…you can severely lost in that place. I only give Passes to people who I know can make it out of the forest…and that's already pretty rare. Are you sure you'll be able to get out?"

"Of course!" Luigi instantly blurted out.

"You promise we won't get lost?" Jerry asked, already thinking of a way to get him for scarring the poor bomb for life.

"Yes- how bad could it be?" Luigi shrugged. "I mean, a forest's a forest. It's not like it changes or anything!"

Dynamite sighed and handed them the Purple Pass- with no strings attached.

"All right…your price for that pass is either getting lost or getting out in one piece. You hear me? Be very careful…"

"Um, all right Mr. Guy-With-The-Quickest-Plot-Advancement…" grumbled Blooey.

Dynamite folded his arms. "…I was in the middle of something important, and now I learn I'm sending some poor guys into Grimble Forest…you do know that Grimble Forest grows where the Luff Empire once thrived 1,000 years ago? Creepy things still happen…though no one's sure what happened to them in the first place…"

"I give you a Luigi promise- we'll come back."

Dynamite smiled. "Good."

He then waved them off, then was in a strange bit of a hurry to get back to his house. Everyone just looked on.

"What's up with him?" Meta Knight inquired.

"…I bet his life is pretty stressful. That's all. I mean, I would too if there were rumors about you and your father is missing without a trace…" Luigi said coolly, which was even more odd that Monterey leaving.

**Waffle Palace-**

"Okay, if we're lucky we can get by without any problems-"

"OM MY GOSH IT'S GORGEOUS IN HERE-"

"Malon! You're going to-"

"HEY! Who's in here?" "It sound like Luigi's group, Frog!"

"Oh, great…"

A irritated Frog and perky-as-usual Frogette rounded the corner, one surprised one not to see Team Luigi trying to stalk down the hall.

"What are you guys doing here!" "OH HI! GLAD YOU CAME!"

"We actually on the search for the sixth piece if the compass-" Meta Knight began.

"Well there's not one here! Now shoo!" cried Frog.

"Unless…you need our help to get to the next place?" questioned Frogette.

"Well, in a way, yes-" started Luigi.

"Well we've got our own job! With Éclair gone, its up to us to keep the kingdom running, you know!" Frog snapped. "If you think you can just waltz in whenever you feel like, then you are sadly mistak-"

"FROG! They're trying to save Éclair, you know- it's more of our duty to help them rather than the kingdom as a whole!" Frogette interrupted. "Again, what would you like us to do?"

Luigi held out the Purple Pass, making both Frog and Frogette gasp.

"The next piece is in Grimble Forest- or more likely the Rapturous Ruins? Oh dear, dear, dear…"

"Why does it sound like this might end up being really bad for us?" Tails pointed out in the form of a question.

"Because this is always the point in the adventure where things gets slightly more difficult?" replied Meta Knight. "I at least know that much."

Frogette took the path and gave the a solemn look. "You really want to-"

"YES! Please, just let us go before we change our minds!" begged Malon.

Frog actually reduced his grumpiness factor and motioned for Team Luigi to follow him to the back of the castle. It remained slightly uncomfortably silent, but it was mainly because everyone was gaping at the amazing inside of the palace- to Frog's irritation.

The, Luigi recalled something. "Hey Frog? Where's Monster Crappy-"

"_MINISTER CREPE!_ And I haven't the slightest idea- usually he stands in for the princess when she's away, and he's usually thrilled, but now he's gone, which mean the kingdom's protection ends up in my hands, since all the guards are out looking for Éclair too, and the king and queen have long since retired, making it not their problem-"

"Okay, that's all I needed to hear…"

Frog continued to lead them out to the garden, which was also flamboyant and fantastic like the rest of the place. There was a large fountain in the middle, with a statue of Éclair in the center, like most princess have. Then, instead of hedges with tons of flowers, there were white fences with long green vine waving through them. And at the very far end was a large white arch/gate that lead toward the Grimble Forest, decorated with autumn leaves.

Malon whistled. "Pretty! So the forest is just beyond there?"

Frog nodded. "Yep! Just be warned…it's been said that whatever caused the Luff Empire to become wiped out still lingers in the forest, aiming to get rid of any intruders…"

Luigi shivered. "When was the last time someone went in there?"

Frog shrugged. "Beats me. This isn't the only entrance, you know…but officially? Quite a while- it was Minister Crepe back when he was slightly younger. I hardly remember because I was only 7 at the time…"

He then gestured for them to get n with it, and Meta Knight was the first to take the cautious step forward. Then, everyone followed suit. Luigi glanced over his shoulder- Frog had already gone.

"Might as well get this over with…"

**Moments Later-**

"Well…we're here!" Blooey called. The team stepped beyond the gate and looked up in awe. Grimble Forest was beautiful. Lush green trees were dominant with bushes scattered around, and the golden sunlight peeked through, making a shimmering aftereffect.

"Whoa…" everyone breathed at same time.

"Can you believe a whole empire thrived here?" Tails wondered airily.

"No- but it must've taken a 1,000 years for all these trees to grow to such a height!" Jerry exclaimed, bending down just to pet the frail grass.

"The next compass piece is really here?" pondered Meta Knight.

Luigi shrugged. "This is where it led! And besides, it's in the ruins, which are deep in the forest…"

"Well! No point in waiting here for anything! Let's go!" Malon instantly charged straight into forest, with Blooey on her heels, Luigi beginning to panic, Tails taking note of anything useful, and Meta Knight just glided after with the rest of the partners.

"Wait, does anyone even know which way we're supposed to be going?" Torque questioned.

"uh, no, because Malon just sort of ran right in without a plan or anything-"

"Well sorry! I really wanted to explore this place, s'all…"

Luigi held up the compass, to see where north was, and realized it was going haywire, spinning in all directions.

"What in the world…"

"What's wrong?"

"The compass is going mad! It's like it either can't find where North is or it's trying to point to something else!"

"That is the most peculiar thing…"

"But that means we have no sense of direction!" gasped Jerry. "What the heck do we do?"

"Everyone, calm down…we'll just head back to the gate and see if the compass works there!" Luigi decided. Tails looked around and then sweat dropped.

"Um…where IS the gate?"

"What are you talking about? We barely took ten steps into…"

The palace was no longer viable. The gate was no longer visible. The only thing that was visible was an endless grove of trees…all surrounding the team.

"What? That's impossible!" shouted Meta Knight. "We were walking on a path…where'd it go?"

"ooh, this would make a GREAT scene for a play-"

"Not NOW, Hayzee!"

"Are we…are we l-" Luigi slammed his hand over Jerry's mouth.

"Don't you DARE say the "L" word…maybe the forest is playing a trick on us or something."

"Like Forever Forest!" recalled Malon. "Link told me that way back on their first adventure, they had to do certain things to get through!"

"How did they find that out?" asked Meta Knight. Malon frowned.

"Um, some weirdo they found in the forest that Kirby assaulted…"

"There's no weirdo in THIS forest! What do we do NOW?" cried Blooey. "We're going to be stuck here because we just ran in without a care, taken in by beauty…and we're gonna die!"

"N-now don't w-w-worry…" Luigi shivered, trying to restrain himself from worrying. "Oh, why does being a leader have to be so HARD! Leaders aren't allowed to panic!"

"We're never going to get out of here, are we?" Malon stated in a high pitch voice. "Oh my goddess…"

Tails let out a cry and -carefully- gripped Torque for dear life. "Now what?"

"I'll tell you what! I'm not staying stuck here! I'm leaving!" Hayzee yelled, instant running in a supposedly east direction.

"Hayzee!" "NO!" "We need to stay together!"

"I'm with the flower on this one!" threw in Blooey quickly before taking off "south". Malon screamed and ran after him. Tails started shaking and flew into a tree, leaving Torque to follow Jerry who was going "west". Luigi completely lost it and started running in circles, and Meta Knight just stood and stared forward.

Luigi crashed into Malon, who ran into him from the "east", then Hayzee tripped over Jerry as he ran down from the "north". Tails ended up falling out of the tree and ran "west", but collided with Blooey. He then kept running, prompting Meta Knight to follow, but both of them ended up at a wall of some sort.

"Stay here!" Malon shouted, almost running after them. "We can't afford to lose each other!"

"Isn't that the truth!" added Luigi.

"Hey! Where'd Jerry go?" Blooey asked, now hiding in a bush. Torque rolled in from the "south", despite originally going "west"- where Tails and Meta Knight had found the wall.

"I'm over here!" Jerry shouted, walking up next to Malon and Luigi. "I swear, I went west and now I'm coming down from your North…"

"We ran into a wall when we went west!" Tails cried, now returning with Meta Knight.

"Wait, how are we all able to return to this spot, no matter which way we go, but we can't get back to the gate?" Luigi pondered.

"I don't know, but we're definitely stuck here, aren't we?" Tails announced quietly.

Meta Knight shook his hand. "Just when I join in…talk about literally being stuck with you guys!"

"Quiet Meta Knight, you're not really contributing anything positive!" snapped Malon. Meta Knight threw up his hands.

"I'm just saying! I'm just saying…"

Malon sighed then collapsed next to Luigi. "This looks bad, Luigi. We just get here, and now we're stuck in some sort of puzzle that's beyond our control…"

She leaned on Luigi's shoulder, to which Luigi didn't move from. Tails sighed and plopped down again a tree, Meta Knight stood around looking perplexed, and Blooey was going on about any possible way that this was Luigi's fault.

Jerry looked around, as if he had a twitch or something. "Uh…are we-"

Luigi looked at him and gave a half-smile, half-frown. "Yeah, Jerry. It's safe to say we're lost now…"

* * *

**Dah na...and now, they are lost. How ever will they get out this golden maze? Only time will tell... and who knows- maybe there IS some weirdo in this forest that will help them! but THAt'S just a thought...**


	37. Chase Me Through Grimble

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 36: Chase Me Through Grimble

After an hour of grieving and throwing rocks at the never-ending trees, Luigi decided it was time they actually accomplished something. He had been thinking over the forest, why his compass had gone mad, and why they could only return to this very spot. He had sort of an idea, but he wasn't completely sure if it was right or not.

"Anyone have any idea yet?" Malon asked, restingon her palms. Tails, lying on his back, just continued to blow a leaf into the air. Meta Knight was doing some serious hackingskills to a tree, takingout any frustration, and the partners were sitting in a circle playing Rock Paper Scissors. Luigi sighed, then stood up.

"I…sort of have one." he announced.

"Oh really? Shoot."

"Well, we could all try to go in one direction together…since it appears when we split up, we ended up coming back because someone was always left behind!"

"But what happens if we go the wrong way?" grumbled Torque.

"…we go back?"

Tails folded his arms. "Hmm…I don't know. What if we start walking in one direction and just end up back here anyway? Or if we go one direction and keep walking forever-"

"Tails!"

"Sorry…the possibilities are endless…"

"I don't want endless possibilities! I want a definite solution!" whined Jerry. Malon then sparked an idea.

"Hey Tails! Meta Knight! Can you guys fly up and see if-"

"AAAHH!" they both cried at the same time before talkingoff into the air. A rapid rattling of leaves was heard as they tried to fly to the top. Moments later they came back down looking disappointed.

"It's like we're trapped in a box!" wailed Tails.

"What? Did you find where to go?" Luigi questioned.

Meta Knight shook his head. "No, the trees…apparently they're as high up as far as they stretch across!"

"There's no way to get above them!" finished Tails.

"We have no way to figure out where to go…"

"There's gotta be something…" Luigi muttered, beginning to search.

"but there isn't! What else haven't we possibly thought of?" Hayzee wondered.

"I don't _know!" _Luigi shouted in an outburst. "I really, truly, honestly, don't know! The next person who asks a question none of know the answer to, they're getting a taste of Frozen North!"

"WAIT THAT'S IT!" Tails suddenly screamed, causing everyone to fall to the ground and cover their ears. "Sorry, sorry! But I've just realized! Luigi- every time you use a compass move, doesn't only one part of the compass light up?"

Luigi nodded. "Yeah, pretty much…except for Refresh Direction- only the base lights up then-"

"Ignore that move! Think of only Frozen North, Wild West, Eastern Wind, and Down South!"

"Okay-"

"Whenever you use them, which direction do they originate from?"

"…Tails you're a **genius**!"

They laughed and slapped high fives penguin style. Everyone else was confused.

"What? What?" Malon, Meta Knight and the partners all wondered.

"Okay, you know how the compass is going all whack and stuff?" Luigi asked. Everyone nodded. "Well, every time I've used a Compass Move, it always originates from the direction in the title!"

"So if Luigi uses Frozen North, we use the direction the wind blows from to figure out where North is- and that's the direction the ruins are said to be!" Tails explained frantically.

"And if we need any other direction, I can just whip up a little Wild West or Down South…" Luigi added modestly.

Malon jumped into the air with excitement- which wasn't as high as Luigi's, but still decent since their team specialized in heights- and practically hugged Meta Knight.

"We're not doomed after all!"

"Well what are you waiting for? Perform some Frozen North already!" Hayzee chuckled.

"Yeah yeah!" cheered Blooey, Jerry, and Torque. Luigi held up his hands and chuckled.

"Okay, okay…" he then pulled out the compass, then did the trademark compass Move pose:sticking it out in front of him and shouting-

"FROZEN NORTH!"

Everyone watch eagerly, and hopefully, for the cold move to be put into effect. It had to work- otherwise they'd all be trapped! Nothing happened for a few moments, downing their spirits, until a chilly breeze came up from behind them and froze Tails, Blooey, and Hayzee.

"Hooray! We found North!" Maloncheered, almost running off again until Meta Knight pulled her back. Luigi instantly cringed and tried to thaw out his team, which he was helped out when Malon played a pretty hot song to melt them.

"Talk about cool…" chattered Tails.

"Sorry…we didn't know where North was, remember!" Luigi exclaimed before using Refresh Direction on the trio. "Now we can actually get somewhere! Let's hurry!"

Malon gasped and pulled out her flute. "Oh my gosh! That reminds me!"

She quickly played Epona'sSong, causing Epini to appear. Malongave her horse a hug and petted her anxiously.

"Aw, Epini! Sorry I haven't seen you much…I guess I just didn't need you when I was kidnapped, in a kart race, or doing a play!"

"Did you say play-"

"Shush Hayzee." She hopped on, then helped Luigi up, followed by Blooey and Hayzee. "We can get to the ruins in record time now!"

Jerry and Torque jumped up, being carried by Meta Knight and Tails, and the team quickly took off down the path. There was no more time to waste…

Meanwhile, no one noticed the rattlingin the bush. Something, or possibly even a someone, poked their head out, snickering.

"Huh. So THAT'S probably why I ended up here…gotta be fate or something like that…"

Eager to catch up with the team and to cut them off, the spy jumped up, then quite literally burrowed into the ground.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Okay…we've been going north for, like, ever, and I'm not seeing any ruins yet…" complained Torque.

"I know! We finally get going in the right direction -no pun intended- and we're still no closer than we were before!" threw in Blooey.

"Ah, this makes an even more interesting plot! Perhaps this'llbe my next big thing!" chatted Hayzee, writingeverything down eagerly in a notebook.

"Can you _not_ think about plays for even a_ tiny_ moment?"

"Yes- when I'm running for my life."

"UGH…"

"The ruins are supposedly way deep in the jungle, so it might take us a while to get there!" Malon told the gang. "So, we keep going on!"

Just then, Epini disappeared, sending Malon, Luigi, Blooey, and Hayzee crashing onto the ground while Tails, Meta Knight, Torque, and Jerry braked to a halt.

"…wow. Great time for Epini to disappear. Nice."

"Now we're going to get there even slower!" Jerry shouted to the sky until Torque smacked and told him to get a grip.

"…that means I have to walk…" groaned Tails. "But that's alright. My tails were getting tired anyway…"

"Oooh…I wish there could just be a sign or something!" Luigi stated with a heavy tine.

"Oh! Someone give me a sign-!"

"Don't start singing, Blooey…"

"I was just trying to raise the morale…"

Luigi moaned and trudged on. Oh, how he ached! The wear and tear of travel was finally taking a toll…and then, just like that, it was as if it was a miracle. A gift from the sky. A ray of sunlight was falling perfectly onto a piece of paper, attached gently to a tree- it was a Conveniently Placed Map. Everyone thought they would cry!

"YES! I bet it shows us a shortcut!" Tails cried, already scrambling for it like everyone else. There is was. Right in front of their reach. Hope was so close in the form of a piece of paper…until a flash of red shot up out of the ground and snatched it away from them. Just like that. It disappeared into the tree, taking away their good fortune, their hope, and apparently that pretty little ray of sunlight.

"What the-?" Luigi nearly choked on the suddenness of the moment. He braked on his heel, causing everyone to pile up and crash into him. Malon instantly went berserk and started Boot Bashing the tree the blur ended up in.

"YOU IDIOT WHOEVER YOU ARE! Give us that map back! It means more to us that your _very own life_!"

She got no reply, however, there was a suddenly rattling of the leaves above, headed easterly. Outraged, Malon took off after, threatening to shoot her arrow. The rest of the team exchanged glances before bolting also.

"What just happened?" Hayzee cried, still in quite the daze.

"We were just about to get a Conveniently Placed Map and that…red flash stole it!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Wow! What a plot twist!"

Luigi smacked his head.

"Well that doesn't matter! We're getting it back!" Malon shouted, firingarrows wherever the rattling and movement in the trees was. But as soon as she shot, that red little bit of movement darted into another tree, or just out of range. The culprit suddenly took a turn to the left, promptingeveryone else to follow as well. Tails noticed something out of the corner of his eyes head into the ground, but didn't focus on it long as trees suddenly started falling.

"WAH!"

"I've got it." Meta Knight said calmly, slicing through them all. More and more came crashing down, but Meta Knight moved swiftly, destroyingthem before they caused anyone any harm. Jerry also did a fair bit of exploding, and Blooey torpedoed right through them also. And suddenly- the trees stopped falling! Malonnoticed something in the ground stopped abruptly, then start going right through a narrow path of trees.

"This way!" she called, trying to run faster. The thief quickly climbed a tree and started jumped from them again, but this time he was pursued by Tails. Tails sprung from trunk to trunk, staying decently close to the map-stealer.

"You won't get away from me!" he yelled, throwing his arsenal of tools. Luigi tried to help by bashing the trees with his Ultra Hammer, but he was failing terribly and even once nearly hit himself.

"Pathetic…" a deep voice echoes among the trees. The gang turned to Meta Knight who shook his head- he didn't say anything. Tails glanced up to get a better look at the…thing they were pursuing, only to get hit with a branch.

"OW!"

He toppled out of his tree, being quickly caught by an impressive jump from Luigi. Luigi set Tails down, then sprung after their mysterious fiend. He would have used a Frozen North, but he was low on his CP and could only use Refresh Direction- which actually wasn't very helpful at this point. There was rush exiting the tree, going back underground again and going straight up the path rather than take a turn at a fork.

Tails chucked a rock at the ground, which didn't help much, and Luigi even tried Spin jump on it but the digging speed was rather impressive.

"Are we chasing an enemy of the forest or something?" Malon asked. "Cause this creature sure knows how to dig and climb!"

"What's next? Flying?" Blooey sneered. As if on cue, the thing burst back out of the ground and flew around a corner, nearly blocked off by boulders. Blooey moaned.

"This thing is fast too…"

"He is? Who?"

"Man, I told you-"

"Not Sonic fast, but it's pretty close!"

Tails looked thoughtful. "It's not that we can't see it, but it moves so quickly we can't focus on it long enough!"

For a brief second, the creature was actually running, but then it knocked down another tree and veering into some thicket. Everyone jerked to a stop (causing another massive pileup) and darted after the one being pursued.

"Hayzee? Can't you put it to sleep?" Luigi asked.

"Not at the rate its going!" Hayzee cried back. "This would make a great race scene-"

"Can it Hayzee. Another play outburst and I'll personally-"

"BLOOEY."

"SORRY! I can't help it! Luigi burned me to my very core!"

"This is NOT the place to bring that up again…"

"Guys? I think it's possible we lost its trail…" Meta Knight murmured.

"Isn't THAT just beautiful! We've lost our map, now that fink!"

Eventually, they ran into a sort of cleared off area, with trees surrounding the area in a circle. They all stopped to gain their breath, but the same thing ran through everyone's minds- where did it go?

"You know…maybe you should leave this little quest of yours to me. It's quite obvious you guys can't handle it…"

"What in the…the SKY is talking!" gasped Jerry.

"I don't know you who are, but it's in your best interest just to back off!" Meta Knight yelled, brandishing his sword. "Come out so we can teach you a lesson!"

"Lessee…me against a coward of a plumber, some girl, a masked guy who's too full of himself, bumbling partners, and Tails….uh, nah. Wouldn't want to beat you THAT badly."

Meta Knight and Malon were highly offended. "_Me!_ Full of MYSELF?" "_SOME GIRL?"_

"Yeah, I said it…"

Luigi wasn't phased by the comment-he got it a lot- but Tails was mainly disturbed by the mere fact that whoever was yelling at them knew his name.

And within mere seconds, he even knew it was.

"Oh sweet Chaos please NO…"

"Again, at least give us the pleasure of see who we're simply not worthy enough to fight..," growled Meta Knight.

"I've really got nothing against you…I just figured that since I'm here against my will, I might as well fix up what you're doing wrong…"

"Please…whoever you are, come out…without pain, at least…" Luigi pleaded.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, like a red rocket, their taunter had jumped right out of a tree a few yards away, then landed right in front of them, fist pounding into the ground, sending out a shockwave, and leaving a massive set of cracks in the ground. He stood up, folded his arms, then raised an eyebrow at Tails. Tails just gulped and muttered:

"Knuckles the Echidna."

* * *

***shot* yes, the last person is Knuckles...I know some of you wanted people like Ness, Pit, and Olimar, but I've had him planned ever since I started writing the plot for PLX a year ago. And I even said- "All of Luigi's team will be from the same worlds as Mario's". Well, not exactly like that, but pretty close. Anyway, if you really know Metroid- there's no other main character besides Samus and Ridley (how the heck would I weave HIM in anyway?). So, that rules out Samus' world. Then I've basically used up all the characters from Link and Kirby, so that leaves- yeah... ****Maybe its not a good a match up, but it what I chose. It all works out in the end, promise- and I've already written Knuckles into what little I have of SPMX, so yeah...**

**Oh yeah- if you haven't read the latest chapter of PMX2 or my profile, my internet's been down all week, including yesterday, but at least I'm able to post today! :D**


	38. Slight Darkness vs The Unknown

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 37: Slight Darkness vs. the Unknown

"Oh ho ho no…you're gotta be kidding. This is a prank, right?" Malon exhausted, throwing her hands in the air. "_Knuckles_ is the one who's caused all this? UGH."

"Hey, _you're _the ones who wanted me to show my face-"

"YOU'RE the one who stole our map, and_ you're _trying to say that it's our fault?"

"All I wanted was to take the map and find the compass piece for myself. But then you decided to follow me, and now instead of hindering you, it looks like I've lead you to the edge of the ruins after all…" Knuckles then gestured behind him, revealing white bricks scattered everywhere. "These, again, are only the edge of the ruins. Up a little more is the real destination, which I'll just be headed to-"

"Oh no you don't!" Malon yelled, chucking Blooey who was also wailing out a battle cry. The blooper make hard contact with the back of Knuckles' head- "What the-OUCH!"- then played the same song she used to trap Luigi under the table on Bosco's so long ago. Knuckles instantly found himself with a throbbing pain and trapped in a cage.

"You are not going anywhere until you explain everything!" Malon declared.

"I don't have to answer to you. And if you don't mind-" Knuckles pulled the bars apart and escaped easily. "-I'll be on my way again."

"Knuckles! How did you get here?" Tails asked, though a bit shakily. "Last time I checked, you certainly weren't able to teleport!"

Knuckles stopped walking, as if it had hit a nerve, but then continued like nothing happened. "Hm, that's funny. Last I checked, you weren't able to either. And look where you end up at…"

Tails put up his hands and backed off. "I tried…"

Malon patted Tails on the shoulder. "Don't feel too bad about it. After all, it's only Knuckles-"

"_What_ did you say?" Knuckles growled, now up against her face with a threatening fist. "You know better than that than mess with me!"

"Back off, you're obviously as lost and confused as the rest of us are…" Meta Knight trailed, stepping between Malon and Knuckles. Knuckles sweat dropped while gritting his teeth.

"I don't have a single clue as to what you're talking about!"

"Hmph, that's not a shocker-"

"Shut up!"

Meta Knight pulled out his sword and lightly poked Knuckles with it. "Leave, or I'll make you leave."

"Like you threaten me. You're just a waste of time…"

Luigi, standing the sidelines with the partners, looked like he had just seen the very God of Destruction before him-despite it not being Chaos.

"_That's_ Knuckles! _Him_?"

Knuckles stopped his stare down with Meta Knight and turned his attention to Luigi. Luigi nearly collapsed on the ground.

"Of course, if you'd like to punch him, feel free to do so-"

"Blooey…" Malon grunted with a warning tone. Blooey let out a high pitched squeak and cowered behind Torque. Knuckles walked up to Luigi and asked, "Who are you?"

"No! Don't hurt him!" Tails cried, jumping in between both his friends. "He's just a really nice guy, that's all! He's never seen you before, so-"

"Sheesh I may be tough and apparently stupid-" he glared at Malon. "-but I'm not just going to wail on anyone I feel like! Especially a guy like…really, who is he?"

"This is Luigi! He's one of my new best friends and we're searching for the Marvelous Compass Pieces so we can save a sweet princess and if you even try to hurt him he'll crash down on you like a Green Thunder or something and that's Torque- he's my Soul Partner- and Blooey, and Jerry, and Hayzee-"

"Tails!" "Way to blurt out 75 percent of out motives…"

Tails covered his mouth and said a muffled, "Whoops…"

Luigi trembled, covering his head. "Please…don't hurt me…"

"I just said I wasn't! Man! Some Green Thunder you are…" Knuckles then cried out as a brown boot made sharp contact with the side of his skull. "OW! _Why_ do you keep aiming for my head?"

"Cuz you're being mean to Luigi!" Malon snapped.

"HEY!" Luigi suddenly screamed, causing several birds to fly out of the forest. Everyone froze and gawked at him. "Uh, sorry…you guys are all just yelling at each other when we could either be getting to the bottom of this whole Knuckles thing or heading into the ruins ourselves!"

"He's got a point. Maybe we should all just calm down…" breathed Hayzee.

"Why don't you just go home, Knuckles. It's obvious we don't want anything to do with you-" Malon started, until Luigi stopped her.

"You think I want to be trapped here in some forest in a foreign world?" Knuckles asked, clenching his fists.

"I knew you were lost and confused," Meta Knight stated.

"And I told you that you were full of yourself! Look at that!"

"O-_kay_, you wait _just _a second-"

"Guys, break it up!" Tails requested. Knuckles shook his head and held out his palm.

"No, wait…you and me. Fight. Now."

Meta Knight swept his cape in front of him as his eyes glowed. "No. I never fight anyone unless they too have a sword or for self-defense. Never just for…fun, like you're implying."

"C'mon Meta Knight! Beat this guy senseless!" Malon cheered. "You're perfectly capable!"

"I know I'm capable. But there's no honor if it isn't a decent match."

"Ah, trust me-" Knuckles grabbed the cage he was briefly trapped in, threw in toward a few trees, and knocked ten of them down. "-I think I'm pretty worthy! Listen…if I win, then I keep the map and go looking for the piece all by myself."

"And, if I were to take this challenge, what would I get if I win?" Meta Knight questioned, eyeing him ever so suspiciously.

"I lose…I'll leave."

"Take him on, Meta Knight!" Malon and the partners cheered. Luigi and Tails exchanged nervous glances.

"Your friends have spoken!" Knuckles struck a battle pose. "So…we gonna rumble?"

Meta Knight pointed his sword at Knuckles. "Your defeat will be mine."

Knuckles grinned, showing his fangs in the process. "Cool."

He then jumped up, then burrowed back into the ground. Meta Knight quickly tried to fly up to avoid it, but Knuckles shot out of the ground so fast he made contact with Meta Knight anyway. The swordsman tumbled upward in a haze, only to be bashed back down toward the ground by a massive punch. Knuckles landed on the ground then charged at Meta Knight. Meta Knight saw him coming, rolled out of the way, tripped Knuckles with his sword, then sent the echidna crashing into a tree.

"Take this!"

Meta Knight flew at high speed toward Knuckles, sword extended. Knuckles quickly climbed the tree, pounding his fist into it, resulting in Meta Knight getting his sword stuck in the bark. While he fought to pull it out, Knuckles jumped back down and rammed him into the tree.

"A taste of you own medicine, eh?"

Meta Knight grunted and pulled his sword out fast, elbowing Knuckles hard in the shin. He let out a yowl and started dancing the pain off, allowing Meta Knight a chance to strike. Meta Knight disappeared in a golden blue as he used his tornado move, hitting Knuckles several times and sending him flying.

"Ah, you can't get this kind of action at home!" Malon laughed.

"You find entertainment in this?" Luigi gawked. "This is nothing short of simply barbaric!"

"Luigi duck!"

"Duck? Where-OOMPH!"

Knuckles collided with Luigi and both went spiraling into yet another tree.

"Ow…"

"Sorry, Thunder, lost my focus…" Knuckles said quickly before jetting back into battle. Luigi, slumped upside down against the trunk, gave Tails a look.

"Way to go- now you've got him calling me Thunder…"

Tails hoped his grin would get him out of this one…

Knuckles flew right at Meta Knight, but his punches were skillfully blocked by the golden sword.

"Hm! Not too shabby!" Knuckles nodded, impressed.

"I am not to be messed with."

Meta Knight snuck a quick slice into Knuckles' side, knocking him into a bush. Knuckles spat out some leaves then tore a perfectly good tree out of the ground, roots and all. Tossing it at Meta Knight, Knuckles jumped up in a flash and started running the length of it. Meta Knight grimaced, but his sword proved to make an excellent axe as he held it before him and sliced the tree straight down the middle. He wasn't expecting Knuckles to come out of nowhere and bop him on the head, though.

"Argh!"

As Meta Knight was briefly weakened, Knuckles picked up both halves of the tree and swung them around madly. One swooped over the rest of Team Luigi, causing an arise of several complaints.

"Watch where you're swingin' your trees!" "Are trying to **kill **someone! ?" "My hair!"

Knuckles ignored the comments and threw one half into the air while using the other to try and hit Meta Knight. Meta Knight leaped at the right moment, using the second half to gain some air. He slice his sword right through the first, cutting it in two, then slicing madly at the newly made fourth…and unintentionally created a totem pole.

"What the-"

"HIYAH!"

Meta Knight was smacked upwards by the second half, though he recovered quickly and prepared a Dive Stab on Knuckles. Knuckles tossed the remaining half up, then jumped up after it. He punched it in two like it was simple twig, then kicked the three fourths (not counting the totem pole) at Meta Knight's direction. Meta Knight charged right through them and straight into Knuckles, plowing them both into the ground and even making the earth shake. The rest of Team Luigi was bounced up and ended up in a pile.

"Jeez, keep it civil!" hissed Jerry, crawling out from under Luigi and Torque.

"Who's gonna win?" Blooey asked anxiously.

"I say Meta Knight. He's practically blowing Knuckles off!" Malon said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah, but Knuckles hasn't done any of his truly devastating moves yet!" protested Tails, still feeling a need to defend his friend, even if he was being a Knucklehead.

"Who do_ you_ think'll win Luigi?" they both asked at the same time. Luigi just about shrunk.

"Uh, I was counting on a draw…"

The partners groaned. "Of course." "Nice…not!" "You're really hopeless."

"I JUST WANT PEACE."

"Give up yet?" Meta Knight questioned darkly, spitting out a rock. Knuckles replied by socking him in the mask.

"Far from it, buddy. But I praise you for that move of yours-"

"Stop praising me!" demanded the knight, conking Knuckles -in the head- with his sword.

"I won't have a head left if I get out of this!"

"You're the one who said, "We gonna rumble?"

"Stop mocking me!"

Knuckles performed a uppercut, then grabbed Meta Knight and chucked him away. Meta Knight slammed into a tree, very vulnerable for Knuckles to jump off a branch and glide toward him. He hardly had a chance to move when Knuckles rammed him again, then tossed him toward the forest floor.

"Ow…"

"Fists beat some puny weapon any day!" Knuckles called, climbing up the tree, pushing off, then doing a flip and aiming a spiked fist at Meta Knight. Meta Knight reacted fast by sticking up his sword, forcing Knuckles to quickly veer away from his target. He did a stylish roll on the ground, only to be knocked down by another blow.

"This getting really old!" he shouted, performing a sweep kick and taking Meta Knight down along with it. "Time to kick it up a notch!"

"That was terrible!" Marlon called. "BOO!"

"No pun intended!"

"At least he didn't say "you'll get a kick out of this!" or something…" trailed Torque.

Meta Knight's eyes blazed as he swung again. "Oh, So then I guess this'll be a real hit!"

He slammed the flat side of the sword down on Knuckles' head -again- and also receiving groans.

"Don't follow in his bad joke tracks!" "Save it for Link!"

"YARGH!"

"Oopmh!"

Knuckles brought his leg straight up, kicking Meta Knight high up, then striking with a devastating punch to the stomach. The echidna then jumped up and started rapidly pounding on Meta Knight as if he was nothing but a mere punching bag.

"Oh no! Meta Knight!"

Meta Knight bared it all however. Then, when Knuckles stopped for the briefest second, Meta Knight swung his sword up and at Knuckles, followed by a very rapid spin of butt kicking.

"Yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-yah-"

"Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-NOT THE HEAD! OW!"

Meta Knight dealt a final blow, finally, and hopefully ending the battle by sending Knuckles ricocheting off a tree and plowing into the ground. Meta Knight swooped down and landed in front of him.

"…I think I was hit in the head too many times…"

"Yes, but you do look quite fetching in that dirt…" Malon snickered. Tails gave Malon and sharp look.

"You hardly know Knuckles! How come you're so anti-him? I've at least gotta know!"

"Don't you remember when we all met up at Peach's party so long ago…you and Knuckles, you two were talking to Meta knight and King Dedede about…something. I overheard while I was having a conversation with another other worlder, and Knuckles was being a real Knucklehead."

Tails thought long and hard. "I remember now! We were talking about…being tired of our own worlds…"

"Yeah. And then Knuckles said…"

Meta Knight narrowed his eyes. "He was going on about how I always had ability to teleport- the ability to escape…but as much as I wanted to, I wasn't about to abandon my world just because of what I thought…"

"And_ then_ Knuckles said…"

"…your loss…"

"Ugh, stop talking about me like I'm not even here…" Knuckles moaned, struggling to even just lay on the ground. "Ow…that spin of yours does a heck of a lot of damage…"

Malon glared down at him with shimmering eyes. "Quiet you! You have no idea what it's like to actually feel devoted to your world- just because someone happens to possess the ability to teleport off the bat, doesn't mean they automatically want to leave their world, regardless of Link's theory of how "You must have a will to leave your world" and stuff like that…"

"Actually that's particularly true…the only reason I even left PopStar was because I had a will to leave to find Kirby, but it turns out I have no need to do so now." Meta Knight explained.

"You guys don't get it, do you?" Knuckles grumbled, pushing himself up. "Meta Knight aside, how are you and Tails here, Malon? It was the exact opposite! You wanted to leave, and yet you couldn't teleport. What does that say?"

Malon said nothing, and Knuckles interrupted Tails before he got carried away in some complicated discussion. He pulled out a sea green emerald, slightly bigger than a Chaos Emerald, but still small enough to be able to carry around.

"Fate happened. I'm just like you-I was minding my own business, doing what I do everyday, which is my dedication to protecting this very emerald, and…_perhaps_ for a _split_ second…I wanted something different. Maybe just to leave the island. For a little while. But I swear, I had no intentions of leaving my _world_, darn it!"

"…what are you saying Knuckles?" Malon asked quietly.

"That this is all just one huge misunderstanding that we'd all hoped would be taken care of by fighting?" Luigi finally said, sipping a cup of tea as if he had just uttered something completely profound. However said tea was spat out as Jerry cried, "What the heck Luigi!"

"Sorry…but for a moment I thought I'd be the one who'd have to explain the predicament. Anyway, just finish the tale, Knuckles."

Knuckles gave a nod of respect. "Thank you…anyway, right after I had the "urge" to "leave", the Master Emerald- which is this, only at full size- suddenly showed me all these weird images…the map, the compass piece, and someone handing it to what I thought at the time was me. Then, without warning, it suddenly started glowing this bright light, brighter than I'd ever seen…and next thing I know, I'm in this stupid forest."

"And if you put two and two together, Knuckles thought the Master Emerald was telling him to find the map to lead him to the compass piece, since he thought that was how he could get back…" Luigi finished.

"Yeah…"

"Well…you should've said something instead of roping us into all this nonsense!" Malon exclaimed. Knuckles shrugged.

"I know…but I honestly didn't think you would/could follow me! And I only fought Meta Knight because, well, I got another image from the emerald as I was walking through the forest- it was of you guys. You were the one with the map, and the piece…apparently me losing was a sign that I need to get lost after all. See you…"

Knuckles started walking away until Luigi and Tails practically ransacked him to the ground.

"RGH! _What_ are you _doing_?"

"Just wait! The Master Emerald doesn't just send you images of random things just because it can, right? There's always a purpose behind it!" Tails cried.

"What if…the image were telling you…to…_oh dear_…join us?" Luigi finished meekly.

Knuckles, Malon, and Meta Knight's eyes all shot open. "WHAT? YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING!"

"Well, Tails DOES possess somewhat of a point…that emerald of yours wouldn't go through all this trouble for nothing!" Luigi pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but…me? With you guys? I don't think so, Thunder!"

Luigi threw up his hands and stomped off. "Oh, isn't THAT beautiful…"

"I said I was sorry!" Tails called over his shoulder.

Knuckles, who was currently resting his head on his palm and tapping his hand against the ground, sighed, "Again, me? Join?"

"Well, I suppose you would be an asset Knuckles, but I'm still very wary of you…" Malon trailed.

"hmm…oh yeah. I'm definitely the guy you can't trust- because I'm apparently very gullible."

Tails muttered something under his breath.

"All right. Listen. I'll join your group until we get out of these forest/ruins, and then IF we seem to be able to trust each other, then maybe I'll stay…_since I have no way home_…and if things go wrong, I simply go my own way. I'm cool with that. Anyone object?"

"How will you be helpful to us if I easily, how you say, "kicked your butt?" Meta Knight questioned, causing Malon, Jerry, and Torque to chuckle. Knuckles jumped up and shook a fist at him.

"Shut up! My brain got all screwed around from the thrashing it received so I couldn't fight well! We can have a rematch when we reach the other side of the moon, but right now you should at least be focusing on getting that compass piece! Am I in? Or not?"

Meta Knight shrugged. "That's actually not my call."

"Oh? Then whose is it?"

Everyone pointed at Luigi. Luigi feebly pointed at a tree.

"So, Thunder's the leader, ah?"

"Well, I wouldn't say LEADER-"

"Still, apparently you're callin' the shots. Deal…or no deal?"

"What is this, a game show?"

Luigi squirmed for quite awhile before pulling his hat over his head and mumbling, "I am such a sucker…"

"Got that right!" chimed Blooey, Jerry, and Torque as Hayzee shook his head in dismay.

"…okay Knuckles. You can hang around with us until we…somehow…get out of here. Then, after that, we'll make the final decision."

Knuckles nodded. "Sweet. I promise- I won't be a hindrance!"

"All we ask is that you don't get on our nerves!" Malon snickered, though this time more light hearted than before. Knuckles smirked right back.

"I won't as long as you don't get on MINE."

_Knuckles:_

_HP: 40_  
_FP: 20_  
_Moves-_  
_Uppercut (4 atk)_  
_Burrow (6 atk, takes two turns)_  
_Knuckle Sandwich (8 atk, 7 FP, causes dizziness AND confusion)_

_Special Ability: Uses his fists to bash through almost anything/ can dig to find hidden items_

"Well, no use standing around here!" Knuckles decided, already walking off. "The ruins are in this direction not too far away!"

Luigi shrugged and followed Knuckles, and Malon, Tails, and Meta Knight followed suit. The partners exchanged unsure glances, but ran after anyways.


	39. More Than Rapturous

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 38: More than Rapturous

_The ruins, they were rapturous all right- and also donning an aura of fear, fright, and…French fries? No, that's just Blooey-_

"Hayzee! Stop monologing like Link does!"

"I was starting to write my next play!"

"…did you say I smelled like French fries?"

Malon glanced down at her partner, then returned to studying the map she forced- I mean, asked Knuckles to give to her. Knuckles walked in-between Luigi and Tails, with Malon next to Tails and Meta Knight on the other side of Luigi.

"So what does the map say?" Meta Knight asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing really. It basically told us how to actually get to the ruins, and now we're here…"

"Keep it! It could be like in the maze back at Plumbelly Village- it may hold some clue for inside the ruins!" Jerry exclaimed.

Blooey shivered. "DDR…"

Tails was eagerly looking around in every direction, observing the white scattered ruins. "It's like something just exploded here! And the grass is dead…and there's no trees!"

"Then I wonder how the compass piece is still here- and if its even still intact!" Luigi pointed out.

"that's because there's still one area that's somewhat standing…" Knuckles threw in.

"What are you talking about?"

Knuckles pointed forward, where a single building, with half the roof sliced off, remained supreme over all the rest of the rubble of what once was. As Luigi looked, it seemed to have some sort of…something surrounding it, as if it was protecting itself from harm. Or something.

"Isn't that the oddest thing…"

"What's that, Thunder?"

Luigi gave a sideways glance at Knuckles as he explained, "Well…look at the ruins! Isn't it like there's something surround it?"

Knuckles squinted and nodded. "Yeah…it's like, nearly invisible or something!"

"I see it too…" added Meta Knight.

"I don't. I DON'T!" panicked Malon.

"Calm down- it's not THAT big a deal…"

"Well maybe I _want_ to see it, Knuckles-"

"HEY! We agreed not to yell at Knuckles, even if he might deserve it!"

"I think we should be allowed," Blooey put in with his head in the air. "Because Knuckles just doesn't seem to fit in, you know…"

"Blooey, I may not like Knuckles all that much, but I'm still giving him a chance, and you should do the same," Malon said.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt this-" Tails started, suddenly backing away from everyone else.

"What Tails?"

"MARSHMALLOW!"

"Marshmallow? What in the-"

A marshmallow-like creature suddenly hopped up and tackled Luigi, trying to gnaw his face off. The group rushed in to help, minus all partners but Hayzee, until another herd of the spongy candy enemies suddenly surrounded them, looking menacing.

"GET IT OFF!" yelped Luigi, rolling around on the ground like he was on fire.

"How many of these things are there?" gasped Hayzee as he started to sing, only succeeding in putting a few to sleep.

"It doesn't matter- we take 'em all out anyway!" Malon cried, throwing Blooey into a straight line of the Mellows, then started Boot Bashing some. Three of the Mellows came together to make a giant form, then jumped on Malon and Blooey, covering them in fluff. Blooey dared to taste it, but after seeing the horrific look on Malon's face, changed his mind. Tails joined the battle by performing a Tail Spin on three also, then jumped backward, did a flip, and got a stylish.

"No one has helped me yet!" Luigi wailed as Torque used Screw Up. Knuckles walked over, pulled the Mellow away from Luigi, squished it into a ball, then bowled it and knocked over 10 other Mellows.

"Strike!" cried Jerry.

"That's what Knuckles brings to the party!"

"Oh brother…"

Knuckles made a face as Meta Knight proceeded to take his turn by using Tornado. The Mellows' eyes all widened as they felt the wrath of Meta Knight's sword. Everyone had to flinch and cover their eyes as marshmallowy goo flew everywhere.

"Yuck- talk about making a mess of things…" complained Malon, shaking off her dress and getting blobs out of her hair. Jerry didn't help the problem by using Mega Bomb and blowing even more marshmallow onto the team. Tails started clawing at his fur while Knuckles held a fist out to the Mellows.

"My turn! Grah!"

His fists went flying in a blur of white, using his Knuckle Sandwich move to make all the remaining enemies dizzy and confused- and luckily there were only 4 left. Luigi whipped out the compass and shouted, "DOWN SOUTH!"

Instantly, all the Mellows' HP went, well, South, and everyone had to nod in approval.

"That's like Up and Away, almost…" Luigi whispered to himself as he placed the compass back in his pocket. He turned to the group, still scraping goo off themselves.

"You should've used that move fist…" stated Knuckles.

"Hey, we fight like men- we take turns!"

Knuckles gave Luigi an incredulous look as Tails suddenly shrieked, "Look! Look! I see the entrance to the ruins!"

Malon also noticed the opening, but then became thoughtful. "What about the force field thing that surrounds the building? Maybe we can't get through! Or maybe we can, but then we can't get back out or something…"

"Yeah, what do we do about that?" asked Torque.

Luigi shrugged and started walking toward it. "Well, we'll never know if we don't check it out!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jerry asked.

"Yeah what if Hayzee gets scarred or something from this incident that you'll probably cause?" asked Blooey.

"Uh, please don't drag me into this curse…"

The group walked all the way to the entrance, until only the force field of sorts prevented them from advancing. Tails reached out a touched it- and it was pretty solid.

"Okay, it appears we can't get in…"

"If only we knew what was causing it," Luigi said, poking and prying to see if there was some sort of weak spot. Knuckles went mad and rapidly tried punching his way through, until Malon made a rather smart comment and the two ended up arguing over that while Meta Knight stood to the side and sweat dropped. Luigi felt a sudden burning in his pocket and, terrified Jerry placed another hot coal in there, took out the source, but to his surprise it was the compass. "Whoa…"

"Hey…what's up with that Compass, Thunder?" Knuckles asked, now ignoring anything else a still-shouting Malon had to say.

"I don't know…it's like making contact with something!" Luigi exclaimed, the compass going mad in his hand and forcing Luigi to hold his arm to keep it still.

"Luigi! Are you okay?" Tails cried.

"I'm fine, but what the heck-"

The compass suddenly shot out a small invisible field of its own, parting the bigger pink-purple one surrounding the Rapturous Ruins and opening the way for the entrance. Everyone gasped as Luigi gawked at the compass.

"Sheesh…this thing has to be more than a compass!" he yelped. "Everyone, in before this field or whatever stop…fielding!"

"What if we can't get back out?" asked Malon.

"We're already stuck in the forest, aren't we? We've got nothing to lose!" Luigi replied with a smile. "Now come on! A compass piece resides in there, and I intend to get it!"

Malon gave a nod and rushed in, followed by Blooey. Tails then flew by with Torque in tow. Meta Knight rushed after, giving a look to Luigi to show he trusted him, and Jerry trotted behind.

"Wait for me!" cried Hayzee, struggling to run. "Man, if only I could get effects like this in my plays…"

Luigi rolled his eyes as Hayzee entered, then looked at the remaining one- Knuckles.

"Well? Aren't you going to go?" Luigi asked absentmindedly. Knuckles just strolled up and poked Luigi in the chest with his finger- er, as good of a poke as he could get.

"Listen to me, Thunder. You better take good care of this team of yours. If you don't, all of you will end up on your own, without anyone to rely on. Trust me- I know what that's like. And you can ask Tails, because he certainly knows too."

Luigi, already intimidated enough by Knuckles, nodded his head.

"You've got some good friends, Luigi. All I'm saying is not to blow it…" he also entered the ruins, now talking more to himself than Luigi. "Unlike certain people who ditched their true friends after preaching how great teamwork is…"

Luigi's mind swirled around Knuckles' words, and what he came up with: something was bothering Knuckles. However, he'd be the last one to pry that kind of information from someone like Knuckles, and briefly forgot the subject as he too entered, sealing him and his team inside the Rapturous Ruins…unless the compass decided to let them out again.

* * *

**Ugh, the ruins have to be the hardest part I've written- even harder than Jazzafrazz! And something's up with Knuckles? Hm...could that mean something?**

**Actually, it doesn't. :D At least, not yet. (and by 'not yet', I mean it has no importance to _this_ story. Maybe another one, however...)**


	40. The Lost White World

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 39: The Lost White World

"Just think…no one's been here in a thousand years!" gasped Tails, staring at the extensive interior of the Rapturous Ruins.

"It's so blindingly white…" Malon trailed, squinting. "It's like when the Luffs were wiped out, so was all the color!"

"Where does the floor even end?" Torque complained, crawling around, trying to find the wall.

"How do we even know where to go?" asked Meta Knight, reaching out for a potential wall, only to fall over. "Ow…it's not like there's any doorways or anything…"

Luigi spun the compass on his finger again. "You're right…huh, I wonder if this is just like the puzzle in the forest-"

Knuckles' eyes lit up. "Puzzle in the forest! Quick! Where's that Conveniently Placed Map I sto- er, _borrowed_…"

Malon pulled it out and twirled it in between her fingers. "I have it. Why? You want it do you can run off again?"

"No, and I might not be as stupid as you claim me to be!" he started to explain. "Like one of the partners said, can the map be used for more than one thing?"

"Are you saying that this could be like the maze/DDR puzzle in Hizza's lair?" Blooey asked.

"…probably."

Jerry, Torque, and Hayzee gave Blooey a look.

"…and you said he wasn't going to be useful-"

Blooey quickly shushed Torque and looked up as Malon took Knuckles' advice and checked out the map.

"If what Knuckles is implying, then could the map also tell us the ways to go to get to the compass piece in the ruins?"

"Talk about pointing out the obvious…" Knuckles sighed. "Oh well- someone has to do it."

"You're really going to listen to Knuckles?" Blooey lurched.

"Do you have a better idea, Blooey?"

"Sigh…no…"

Luigi struck a pose. "Therefore, we take Knucks' plan-"

"Whoa! If you're going to call "Knucks", you gotta say it like "Knux". It sounds cooler."

"Oh, but you're free to just call me Thunder without any instruction…" was the reply. "Whatever. We'll take Knux's plan…"

They all looked over the map, which said to go north, west, north, north, east, and north.

"Great. Now which way is North?" questioned Hayzee. "The entrance blends in with the whiteness of the room now, so we can't use that-"

"FROZEN NORTH!"

The cold move blasted at them from the front this time, and as such all heroes except Knuckles promptly ducked, resulting in an echidna popsicle. Malon laughed.

"That has to be the funniest thing I've seen all day! Look at his expression!"

"Oh dear…I hope he doesn't hit me…" Luigi said, using Refresh Direction after Tails melted the ice with a quick Tail Spin. Knuckles, now sopping wet, just glanced at Luigi.

"At least I wasn't hit on the head. I can be grateful for that…Grrrr...brrr..."

He violently shook off, splashing Malon, then put on a determined look.

"Anyway, let's get going. Now that we know where North is, let's head west so we can get out of here…"

Tails flew west, only to slam straight into the western wall. "Uh…there's not even a doorway…"

"So much for Knuckles' idea!" Blooey said with a innocent grin, sneaking glances at Malon. Knuckles just shook his head and walked over.

"Huh…" he leaned his head on the door then lightly knocked on it. "Ha! Knew it! Hallow…"

"So? How's that gonna-"

"Just stand back," Knuckles sighed, reeling his massive fist back. Blooey was about to make a comment when Knuckles took out the wall that was blocking their way in one fell swoop. It literally disintegrated into white powder by the time Knuckles was finished. Knuckles smirked.

"Yeah! How's that?"

Luigi poked his head through- another room!

"Okay guys, it's this way!"

As he happily took a step through, a gang of Swoopers, Swoopulas, and Swampires came out of the room and nearly knocked over Luigi.

"Bats! BATS!"

Meta Knight quickly flew over as Malon chucked Blooey at them, both effectively making contact and taking out a few of the enemies.

"So much for deserted ruins!" snorted Jerry as Knuckles climbed up the nearest wall, glided off it, then punched several bats out of the air, which Tails proceeded to hit with a Tail Spin. Luigi jumped up to join in the fight…only to jump too high and hit his head on apparently what was the ceiling.

"Ow…a lot lower than expected…" he moaned.

Hayzee attempted to sing, but ended up putting Tails to sleep as Meta Knight started up a lecture of that was why they fought by taking turns, though at the moment they were just trying to beat the bats like piñatas.

"Oh, wake UP Tails!" Malon exclaimed, whipping our her flute and playing an ear-splitting tune. Tails jolted awake, his ears pressing tightly against his head.

"Malon! OW!"

"Sorry…it was the fastest way to get you up!"

"Yeah, and the fastest way to get me deaf!"

Malon attempted a "Tails" smile, but Tails already knew he was the only one who could pull such a grin off.

"How many are left?" asked Knuckles, taking down another Swooper.

"5," Meta Knight murmured, performing Tornado. "Now 3."

Knuckles grinned and crackled his knuckles. "One of each too. Nice."

Luigi spun the compass on his finger. "Let's-a do this!"

They were up against a Swooper, Swoopula, and a Swamper, which wasn't too much to handle-

"HEY! STOP ATTACKING OUT OF TURN!" wailed Luigi, trying to smack away the Swamper with his Ultra Hammer. It was gnawing on his ear and Luigi was trying to get it off while at the same time not hit himself in the face. Blooey almost snuck over to put that into effect, but Malon caught was he was doing and held him back. Tails gave it a tail smack, which finally set it right and flew next to its pack. Its HP was still full, due to snacking on Luigi's, so any attacks done on it didn't even count.

Luigi performed a Spin Jump on the Swooper, followed by Hayzee using Dayzee Tears. His move poisoned the Swooper and the Swoopula, but the Swamper remained unaffected. All three bats flew in to snack on Luigi, though the Swooper and the Swoopula just lost what they had gained due to poison. Malon shot her bow and Arrow at the Swooper, defeating it, and Blooey added on with his Blooper Blitz. He jumped towards the Swoopula, then spun around rapidly, his tentacles hitting the foe several times and quickly taking it out. Now all that remained was the Swamper, which went in for Blooey but was Superguarded.

"Take it away Tails!" exclaimed Torque, knowing he couldn't attack enemies in the air.

"I can't…" Tails frowned. "It flew on the ceiling!"

"I'll take care of it…" Meta Knight muttered, using Dive Stab and leaving the bat with a measly 2 HP. "Darn it!"

"…and now we don't have enough FP for me to use Mega Bomb!" Jerry complained as Knuckles rushed by him.

"Eh, I've got it."

He jumped up, brought back a fist, then stuck the bat with such force it flew off the ceiling, went crashing into the wall, and …well, died. Knuckles landed back on the ground and just stared.

"You sure have got it all right," snickered Blooey.

"Well, anyway, now that it's over…" Malon trailed, dusting herself off. "Let's continue on, shall we?"

She played her flute, causing the west wall to fall, and she, Luigi, Tails and Meta Knight walked in. Knuckles was currently getting a earful from the partners. As soon as the other four went beyond the door, four screams emitted, two stopping short rather instantly.

"What the-?" Knuckles gaped, trying to drown out Blooey's lies of how Knuckles was going to replace him of something. The echidna ran straight through where the wall once was, only to see that the floor in the next room was gone, Tails and Meta Knight had instinctively started to fly, and Malon and Luigi were falling. Not missing a beat, he kept running forward and swooped downward, luckily gliding faster than the duo were falling.

"Hold up your hands!" Knuckles yelled. Luigi wasted no time in shooting up both arms, which Knuckles quickly grabbed, but the problem was, Malon was falling face first.

"Don't you dare look down Knuckles!" Malon shouted.

"All right. You can just keep falling then!"

"Can't you grab me without looking? !"

"Just be glad I'm saving your life," Knuckles grunted, grabbing Malon's foot, tossing her upwards, and having Tails catch her by the arm.

"Don't look up, Knuckles!"

"You want me to drop Thunder?"

"Uh, no…the "Thunder" doesn't want Knuckles to drop him-"

Knuckles' other fist slammed into the nearest wall, now unable to glide. He struggled to climb back up without a second hand, but somehow he did it, and Meta Knight took Luigi.

"Okay, how do we get out of here?" Tails asked. "The floor's gone!"

"And how do we get the partners too?" pondered Luigi.

Knuckles simply climbed up the north wall until he was above the part where the floor was supposed to be, then smashed it with a well-placed swing.

"Quick! In here!"

Tails and Meta Knight chucked Luigi and Malon in there while Knuckles rolled stylishly in, and Tails and Meta Knight went to fetch the partners. Luigi was lying on the floor on the white room, unlike the last one that had been nearly pitch black, grabbing his rapidly beating heart.

"Talk about cutting it close…" he huffed.

"Tell me about it," added Malon, also short of breath from the experience.

Knuckles folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What? No thank you?"

Malon just blew her long hair out of her face and muttered, "Yeah…thanks…I guess,"

"You'll warm up to me eventually…if saving your life isn't enough!"

Malon was about to give Knuckles a piece of her mind until Luigi grabbed her arm and the partners, Tails, and Meta Knight arrived moments later.

"Okay, we're here…and safe," Tails explained, setting down Jerry and Hayzee. "Now, to work on getting out of this one…"

Knuckles went to bash the north wall, only to fly back in pain as he started dancing around.

"Sweet Chaos Emeralds! That wall is made of _diamond_ or something! OW!"

"Hmm…" Tails began to inspect it. "Something tells me this wall can be moved, not broken…"

"How so?" asked Hayzee. Luigi pointed to their right.

"Um, by that switch over there, maybe?"

He stood up and jumped on it, which caused a section of the wall to open up, but by the time anyone got there, it had shut.

"Ah, one of those temporary switches…" mused Jerry.

Malon stood in front of the area with the moveable part of the wall then picked Blooey up. "Everyone! Get over here!"

Everyone shrugged and stood around Malon as she threw the Once White Torpedo at the switch, causing the door to briefly open up and for everyone to quickly pile in before it shut.

"Ah, another job for the great Blooey…" sighed the blooper as he magically returned to Malon's side.

"Yeah, but now-"

"Someone says "Now what?" again, I really will-"

"HEY! LOOK!" Tails cried out of plain nowhere, running over to a certain part of the wall.

"What's up with Ta-"

"LISTEN!"

"Who are you supposed to be? Navi?" snorted Malon.

"Well, before I was rudely interrupted, there's a huge crack in the wall. Maybe Jerry can blow it up!"

Jerry excitedly jumped up and down. "Oh my GOSH! A job for me! At long last! I haven't been officially used since the maze!"

He lit up his long fuse almost instantly and skipped over to the crack. Tails backed up a bit to get out of the way of the explosion, and with a ka-boom, the next area of the current room was reachable.

"…and now I go back to being nobody…" sighed Jerry. "I just realized- Knuckles probably could've bashed that…"

Knuckles shrugged and gave a cheeky grin. "Well, actually…yeah. But I let you do it, didn't I?"

"Mmm…I suppose…"

"Anyway, let's keep going," Malon said, sticking her head around the corner. The area was the same as the previous two- a long narrow place surrounded by two white walls. This time, though, there was a steal door with a bolt in the middle placed smack dab in the middle of the second wall.

"This place is so weird…" muttered Blooey.

"Yeah, I feel sorry for the one who sketched this place out…" added Hayzee.

Tails walked over to the steal door and tapped it. "huh…it's not hard to figure out this is the way to get to the next part, but- oh wait!"

He pulled out his screwdriver and tried to unscrew the bolt, but it needed a-

"Torque! C'mere!"

Torque was at his Soul Partner's side in moments. "Yeah? What's up?"

"I just need to use your torque for a moment…"

"Uh, sure thing!"

Tails picked Torque up, squaring up his titular tool to the bolt, and gave him a spin.

"WHOA!"

"Sorry!"

As Torque circled around, his torque slowly started to pull the bolt out. When the bolt fully came out, Torque went flying, and the once bolted door fell, revealing a new path.

Tails yelped and went to help Torque as Luigi, Hayzee, and Knuckles checked out the next part.

"What's next?" Meta Knight asked.

"Nothing, it seems…it goes straight north, and nothing else." Luigi explained.

"That can't be…" grumbled Knuckles, strolling ahead.

"What are you doing-"

Knuckles stood in the center of the area, only to get attacked by a distant cousin of Embers, the Flares. They looked highly similar, only they were purple and had much stronger flames.

"Oh great!" Luigi shrieked. Knuckles started dancing around screaming bloody murder. "You idiot!"

"Just go on ahead! I'll stall them!"

"What about you?"

Knuckles snorted, then yelped as a Flare scorched his arm. "Ugh, don't worry about me! Get everyone by and to safety!"

Luigi looked hesitant, but nevertheless told everyone to get going. Blooey, Jerry, and Torque wasted no time in getting over, followed closely behind by Tails and Malon. Meta Knight attempted to help Knuckles, but his sword just sliced through the flames and had no effect.

"I can try something!" Hayzee exclaimed, stepping forward. He began to sing his Dayzee Song, instantly putting the Flares and Knuckles to sleep. Luigi smiled, pushed the flares away, and grabbed Knuckles.

"Good work Hayzee!"

"I'm just sad we didn't think of it earlier!"

"Yeah…anyway we can wake up Knuckles though?"

"I got it…" Malon grunted, walking by and playing the same earsplitting sound that awoke Tails. Knuckles jumped instantly and nearly knocked the group down like dominoes.

"…gah!"

"I hate this place…it's so confusing!"

"Not to mention lame."

"Everyone shush…we don't know what's up next…" trailed Luigi.

"There's nothing in here, besides the whiteness…" Meta Knight murmured. Tails looked around and broke out into a grin at the sight of a Shine Sprite.

"Hey! Look at that!" he said in awe, walking over. Malon held out her hand to grab him, but she just missed him.

"Tails! Wait! What if it's a trap?"

"Trap? It's a Shine Sprite!" he scoffed back, continuing to walk over and released the Sprite within the box. "See? Nothing bad!"

"Oh, this is a very terrible case of foreshadowing…"

As Tails walked somewhat happily back, something large crashed out of the ceiling and landed right behind Tails. Tails froze.

"Don't freeze! RUN!" cried Malon. A loud roar echoed off the walls, emitting from whatever was about to probably eat Tails. Tails let out a high pitched noise and started running. The monster thing thrashed into the north wall before stomping after Tails.

"We've gotta help him!" shouted Torque, but the team was already on it. Tails had sped by the team like a streak of lightning, still clutching the Shine Sprite.

"What IS this thing?" Malon asked. The monster was like some twisted combination of a T-Rex, a polar bear, and a chicken. She started playing her flute, hoping to do something, but…nothing happened. "What? How the-"

"Apparently it's not effected by reality of something…" Tails trailed from the safety of his corner.

Luigi's mind was struck in overdrive as he suddenly started barking out orders. "Meta Knight! Fly up and hit him in the head! Knuckles, you dig underground and attempt to trip it. I've got an idea! Everyone else, get out of the way…except for Jerry and Torque. Hayzee, you stand by though."

Meta Knight and Knuckles exchanged a nod and did their respective actions. Like a bat, Meta Knight swooped upwards, ready to smite the fiend with his sword. Meanwhile, Knuckles burrowed downward into what he could of the ground.

"Hey! I found a Mushroom!"

"Save it, Knuckles!"

Meta Knight squared up to the monster's head, then whacked it as hard as he could with his sword. It started wobbling a bit, stumbling ever which way, until it stubbed its toe on the bump Knuckles made in the ground and began to fall. Luigi send Torque out into a certain position, then lit Jerry's fuse and chucked him into the air. The monster fell right on Torque's torque, with Torque completely unharmed. The monster sprung up in a fit of pain, only to experience more when Jerry detonated in his face. It started to fall again, this time with Torque running quickly out of the way.

"Hayzee! Sing!" Luigi called once the creature had fallen hard onto the ground. Hayzee gave a nod, then sang to his heart's content. The monster fought, but eventually he did fall asleep. Knuckles crawled out of the ground and chuckled a little, Meta Knight landed back down and looked awfully proud, and Blooey darted in and tried to beat up the monster himself.

"C'mon! I could've helped!…somehow…"

"If Sonic were here, he's be going on about how great of teamwork that was," chuckled Tails.

"It was a _little_ cool, I'll admit…" Knuckles shrugged. "I didn't know Meta Knight had such a great swing!"

"You are a bit of an expert digger, I must say…" added Meta Knight.

"Ah, finally. Getting along…"Luigi sighed in relief. "Okay, all we have to do now is go east an north and then we'll be at the room with the compass piece! So let's not stall a moment more!"

"Still…even if we do get the compass piece…how will we ever get out?" Malon asked. "Remember what Frog, Frogette and Monterey Jack said!"

Luigi just shrugged as Knuckles broke down the next white wall. "We will worry about that when the time comes…"

"All right."

Luigi gave her an assuring smile, then followed Knuckles into what was supposedly the final room before the compass piece. Nothing was in there-as usual- so Knuckles just needed to break down the final north wall and they'd be on their-

"Wait…look at this…" Knuckles trailed, noticing some sort of inscription on the eastern wall.

"It's of no use to us. We can't read ancient Luff dialect…" shrugged Torque. "Let's just bash the north wall and get out of here."

Knuckles waved a hand, not taking his eyes off the writing. "Wait…I think…I can crack this."

Malon raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Knuckles knows all sorts of ancient echidnian languages!" Tails said proudly. "And that language is actually quite similar to most of the other ancient languages out there."

"…yeah. And it was an important aspect to my people…" Knuckles muttered, still trying to read the writing.

"Was?" questioned Meta Knight.

"Yeah. I'm the last echidna- in my world, at least…"

Meta Knight scratched the back of his head while everyone else just looked down.

"It's almost the same for Kirby and I, to tell the truth-"

"I've got it!" Knuckles yelled, cutting any silence in the room. "It says that there's hidden treasures behind here, only destined for use by the Children of Fate…"

"Children of Fate…" Luigi repeated in a whisper. "Scary…it sounds almost familiar…"

"Should we check it out?" Tails asked, but Knuckles had already knocked down the wall and was strolling in.

"Don't see why not!"

Luigi hesitantly stuck his head in, then flinched, in case there was something in there not meant for his eyes.

"Luigi its okay…"

Luigi opened his eyes and turned to the north- along the walls were 5 large brown chests, and on the South wall were two more Shine Sprites.

"Whoa…"

"How cool is THIS?" squealed Jerry.

"Can we open them?" asked Malon and Tails, already placed in front of the second and third chests.

"But they're only for the "Children of Fate" or whoever they are…" protested Luigi.

"What if its us though?" Knuckles put out.

Silence.

"…you're right." Luigi said quietly. "I think you're right. It's always been fate ever since I started this adventure. Fate Malon fell out of the sky. Fate Tails ran into us in Frogfield. Fate Meta Knight happened to be at Jazzafrazz Town-"

"-and fate the Master Emerald brought me here…" Knuckles finished. "Wait, Malon fell out of the sky?"

"Well that's unnerving…" stated Malon, not hearing Knuckles' latter statement. "So! Can we open the chests?"

"I've already claimed the Shine Sprites…" Meta Knight mentioned, holding them out and was glad his mask was hiding his sheepish grin.

"Oh, fine…but I go first in case we unleash some dark spirits or something…"

Luigi turned to the first chest, gripping the lid and slightly trembling. He threw it open... then took cover.

"Luigi! Nothing's wrong…"

Luigi acted all nonchalant as he poked his head into the chest and gasped- Ultra Boots?

"Ohmigosh we ARE the Children of Fate!" Malon cried, opening her chest almost instantly after that and pulling up her own Ultra Boots, an Ultra Bow and Arrow, and another flute. Of course, this upgraded everything she had , but she didn't receive a new move. Tails grinned when he pulled out a hammer of his own, adding it to his collection of a wrench and a screwdriver. Meta Knight received an upgraded version of his sword, and Knuckles pulled out two sets of large silver claws- fitted just for him.

"Whoa- Ultra Claws!" gaped Hayzee, eyeing them closely. "What a prop!"

"Uh no-" he swung his fist around, causing everyone to duck. "It's actually called "Shovel Claw" , but I suppose Ultra Claw can work…"

"What can you do now Knuckles?" asked Tails, practicing Hammer Blow and watching Meta Knight fly around getting used to Galaxia Darkness, a pretty powerful move.

"Well, not only has my digging been improved, if that's even possible, I can also use Deep Impact now."

"Ooh. Sounds terrifying," scoffed Malon, slightly mad that she didn't receive a new move.

"It is terrifying. I can split the hydrogen in the air with this move."

Malon gulped. "Yeah, I believe you…"

"So now with your big bad scary Ultra Shovel Claw or whatever, you can bash us into the last room right?" Blooey quipped. Knuckles held up a fist and smirked.

"Piece of cake."

Now armed with all sorts of new gadgets- Luigi hadn't explained that his jump had been increased to incredible heights now, thanks to the Ultra Boots- they returned to the previous room, when Knuckles was ready to beat the living daylights out of a wall. Shovel Claw placed outward, Knuckles charged, splitting the very air as he ran, and opened up the way to the 6th piece of the Marvelous Compass (if you count the base as a piece).

"Nice work Knuckles!" Luigi exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up. Knuckles just gave a sideways grin.

"Not a problem."

"C'mon! Let's go!" Tails cried, running in. Luigi and Knuckles both grabbed his arms and stopped him.

"Wait…look…" Meta Knight stated, catching on to what Luigi and Knuckles had seen.

"What? WHAT! I can't see!" Malon exclaimed, trying her best to poke her head through.

"Shh…" Luigi said, finger placed to his lips. He then pointed forward, motioning to where a young boy sat in a single chair, sleeping. He had mahogany hair, and white clothes that would have blended into the wall, if they weren't tinted a light shade of lavender.

"Whoa…" the partners all moaned in unison. Luigi took three steps forward to get a closer look at the boy, only to be stopped by a small ghost that resembled whipped cream that suddenly emerged out of the walls.

"No go further."

Everyone: What the-

"Uh…hi?" Luigi asked.

"Who are you?" Blooey sneered, poking his head out from behind Malon's leg.

"Screamy is Screamy's name. Screamy has important job to do. Job is almost as important as Cranberry's!"

"This guy is slightly nuts…" Tails whispered to Knuckles, who had his eyes locked on the creature before them.

"Before you ask, Cranberry is the boy you see before you. Cranberry is the last living Luff. Cranberry will only awake for a child of fate."

"We're the Children of Fate, though-" Meta Knight started.

"Cranberry only awakes for one." Screamy's eyes then suddenly changed from their dull pink to a menacing violet. "And Screamy must stop those who not worthy!"

The group all took a few steps back as the random creature suddenly grew a few times its size, smirking.

"Prove to be worthy, Screamy let you go. Not worthy…you won't want to find out…"

Everyone exchanged looks of bewilderment.

"…I love how this weirdo appears out of nowhere and then threatens to kill us."

"Nice, isn't it?"

* * *

**WEIRD Boss battle next week, I'm warning you I'm not kidding it even confuses me holy run on sentence. Well, anyway, that means Boss Weekend for PLX! Boss on Friday, Eclair on Saturday, and just to catch up with PMX2 the "meeting" chapter is on Sunday. Hooray?**


	41. Screamy: The Boss of the Ruins

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 40: Screamy: The Boss of the Ruins

"Prove to be worthy, Screamy let you go. Not worthy…you won't want to find out…"

Everyone exchanged looks of bewilderment.

"…I love how this weirdo appears out of nowhere and then threatens to kill us."

"Nice, isn't it?"

Luigi kept eyeing Cranberry while Knuckles was purely focused on Screamy. He grabbed his stomach and groaned.

"Something isn't right…"

"Screamy know something that you don't!" the whipped cream ghost thing chuckled. Knuckles shook off the feeling then narrowed his eyes.

"Whatever! We need to find the Marvelous Compass Piece!"

"Malon, you go first. I really need to charge up my CP…" Luigi trailed, shaking his compass quite rapidly. At the sight of the compass, Screamy's eyes widened and he let out a screech.

"That's not yours! That's Screamy's!"

"What is wrong with this guy?" grunted Torque.

"Who cares- let's take him out!" Malon exclaimed, firing a stronger arrow at Screamy. Knuckles cringed. Screamy shrunk a tiny bit and his eyes went down a shade. Screamy appeared unharmed.

"It's like he doesn't even have any HP…" Tails muttered to himself as Blooey used Blooper Blitz. Screamy shrunk again.

"Screamy's turn…"

He sucked in a huge breath, then wailed out with an ear-splitting, bloodcurdling, scream that sent everyone to the ground covering their ears, especially Tails.

"OW! Make it stop!" he whimpered, not sure how much more of his sensitive eardrums could take. Torque sprung into action and used Bash and Batter. Screamy stopped screaming, at last, and shrunk another considerable size. Tails, slightly angry, flew up with hammer in hand and smote Screamy in…well, what was his head. But he was mostly all head anyway.

"Not too hard…" Knuckles whispered, cringing away.

Tails did a flip into the air, then landed coolly next to Malon.

"Stylish!" she cried. As Tails looked around and smiled, he suddenly felt as if a spirit or something had entered him.

"What the-"

"Screamy's possessing you!"

"AUGH! Get out! GET OUT!"

Luigi glanced over at Cranberry again- still sleeping.

"Screamy wasn't kidding…" he mused to himself.

Malon reluctantly smacked Tails, knocking Screamy right out of him. The spirit tumbled onto the ground, shrinking once again.

"When will you realize…" Screamy trailed, staring dead ahead at Knuckles.

"Okay man, you're really creeping me out…whatever weird pull, connection thing you've got on me isn't going to work!"

"Pull connection thing?" Malon and Tails yelped at the same time. "Uh oh…"

Meta Knight wrapped himself in his cloak, sending a dark aura about the room. He then brought out his sword and started slashing Screamy repeatedly. Knuckles cringed again and looked away.

"Oh boy…"

"Knuckles…you said you've got a connection with Screamy, right?" Tails asked slowly.

"Yes! Maybe he's trying to possess me or-"

"Seriously? Screamy?" Malon moaned to no one in particular. "Of all the…do you know what this means?"

Knuckles looked around then shook his head. "No! What are you talking about!"

Jerry exploded using Mega Bomb, making Screamy groan and shrink again. Malon gave a sideways glance to Knuckles.

"You won't be able to hurt him you know."

"Oh yeah? Watch me!"

Malon just stood calmly as Knuckles glided up to punch Screamy in the face.

"Something tells me this is all just a big misunderstanding am I right?" Luigi asked, seeing that his compass was fully charged now, though only Tails managed to pull off a stylish. Malon nodded.

"Yep. I think I'm starting to get it now…Screamy wants to see if we really are the Children of Fate, and I think the compass has something to do with his "job", and it might just turn out that-"

"He's Knuckles' Soul Partner." finished Tails.

"5...4...3...2-"

"Argh!"

Knuckle veered out of the way of Screamy at the last moment, landing on the ground and pounding the ground harshly.

"Why can't I hit you? Why do I feel like we're bonded somehow?"

Screamy's eyes returned to the usual dull pink and he shrunk completely. "Because, it's as your friends said. Screamy is your Soul Partner. Screamy had to see if you were worthy of Screamy- Screamy had to see if you knew."

"Aw…is it over? I didn't even get to blast you with Eastern Wind or Down South!" whined Luigi.

"Well that has to be the lamest boss battle in existence…"

"Partner battles always are…" shrugged Malon.

Knuckles raised an eyebrow and picked Screamy up. "I don't get it. Wha-"

"A Soul Partner is a partner that is meant to be yours and yours alone…" Tails explained. "I've got the same thing with Torque! I could never do anything to hurt him!"

"And Blooey always has my back, even if he can be quite the jerk sometimes," Malon added, squashing her squid in a hug.

"Yeah- hey _wait a minute_!"

"And in a way, Hayzee's sort of mine," Luigi added, motioning to Hayzee next to him. "But that's probably just because the rest of my partners hate me…"

"Screamy is sorry. Screamy is just very protective of Cranberry. Cranberry very special kid…but Screamy is not your enemy. Screamy even want to be your friend!"

"…this is the most awkward, random encounter yet. How well was this thought out-"

"Knuckles!"

"Sorry. Anyway…" he picked Screamy up again and tossed him around. "Let's see…apparently quite strong, has some sort of duty to protect something, and is completely unknown to the outside world. I think I'll like him."

Screamy smiled. "You people are not so bad. Screamy like people! Screamy haven't seen people in a long time…except for Cranberry."

"So…you're some sort of ghost, aren't you Screamy?" Malon asked.

"Yup! Yup! But, that story is for later. If you are who you say you are, you can wake up Cranberry, then Screamy can do his job!"

"But we're only here for the compass piece, not wake this kid up," Meta Knight stated.

"Ah…" Luigi huffed.

"Yeah, and it's supposed to be in this room isn't it?" asked Tails.

"AH…"

"What the heck is wrong with Lu-"

"AAAAHHHH_-CHOOOOO!"_

"WOAH!"

The force of Luigi's mysterious sneeze actually sent his team to the ground, and a soft sound to stir from the once sleeping Cranberry.

"…bless me!"

"Luigi! You woke up Cranberry!" gasped Malon.

"Cranberry! Cranberry!" Screamy chanted before bowing in respect.

The child's eyes shot open, revealing red-violet irises behind the lids.

"…yawn…hlleo!"

"Huh?" said team Luigi.

"He said 'Hello'." Luigi and Screamy said simultaneously.

"Crrebnary si nmae ym."

"What did he say now?"

"My name is Cranberry," said Luigi. "Why?"

"…Luigi? You understand his language!" Tails gasped.

"how?" gasped Malon.

"Luigi is the child of fate that was destined to awake Cranberry!"

Cranberry gave a nod and arose out of the chair. "Smaercy, lsat at…"

He turned to Luigi, and Luigi only.

"Luigi, listen to him, and then tell us what he says, okay?"

Luigi gave a nod, then turned to Cranberry also. Cranberry looked highly serious as he spoke in his Luffian language.

"Yraes tnasuohd lsat eht rof uoy rof wetiad ev'I dna, Crrebnary si nmae ym, aiagn. Wlrod eht rlue ot fnilleterog fo prewos sti uesd ohw, plpoee Lfuf aneicnt eht yb cetaerd neeb dah Csapmos Muolevras eht. Peceis sti dih dna Csapmos eht deltnamsid srovivrus eht...riun itno flel dna, csapmos eht yb cesrud tehn saw eripme Lfuf eht tub. Rcae aneicnt eht fo lsat eht ma I. ...Frutufe eht fo bedrun eht tkae ot cmae hraet nlboe a wtih eno uitnl wiat ot saw rloe ym."

"Luigi?"

Luigi coughed, then translated the language. "Again, my name is Cranberry, and I've waited for you for the last thousand years. He said that the Marvelous Compass had been created by the ancient Luff people, who used its powers of foretelling to rule the world. But the Luff empire was then cursed by the compass, and fell into ruin... The survivors dismantled the compass and hid its pieces. Cranberry was the last of the ancient race. His role was to wait until one with a noble heart came to take the burden of the future…"

"…so are we the only ones who can handle this or something?" Hayzee asked.

"Yeah. Pretty much."

Cranberry then pulled something out of his pocket- the Marvelous Compass Piece!

"This is the piece of the compass that has kept me seal in the ruins of my people for so long…." Screamy recited as Cranberry spoke. "Now, I must give you the Compass Piece so you may save Éclair, a descendent of the Luff people. We must go on…through her. And only you and your team, Luigi, can save the Waffle Kingdom from suffering the safe fate the Luff one did…"

The boy gave him the compass piece, and said, "Fear the curse, but find your Éclair."

Luigi accepted the part, the boy's words burned into his brain. His duty fulfilled, the boy began to fade into the blank nothingness...

"Wait! Cranberry! What's happening?" Luigi cried.

"My duty is done…the job that made me so special for so long…was the give you the second to last piece of the compass. And now that the Magnetic Field isn't protecting me anymore, I will begin to fade away…"

"Oh Cranberry…" Malon whispered.

"It is fine," Screamy continued to translate. "I can finally be with my family again…and my older brother…"

As he faded from sight, a look of joy lit Cranberry's face. As Team Luigi gaped, both boy and ruins vanished, leaving our heroes in a dark wood.

* * *

**I don't know either. But I like scrambling up Cranberry's language. :D And...Boss Weekend is cancelled since I'm horribly unorganized. D: I'll post more than one chapter next week to makr up for it though...**


	42. Eclair and the Truth of Hatesong

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 41: Éclair and the Truth of Hatesong

Huckleberry had been constantly staring out the window at the pouring rain ever since he told Éclair all about his past, and now his mind was trapped in a torrent of thoughts.

_"She knows enough now…it's now or never…she'll find out one way or another…"_

"Éclair?" Huckleberry asked, voice slightly raspy. Éclair shut the music box, as she had been listening to its beautiful music once gain, and turned to Huckleberry.

"Yes Huckleberry?"

He took a deep breath a floated over. "It's time you learned everything. Everything. I can't keep anything from you any longer…"

"Huckleberry…?"

"I don't know where to begin?" he moaned face held in his hands. "It's all tangled up in a web of the same thing…"

Huckleberry's eyes then lit up. "Your compass piece…"

Éclair removed her crown and held it close. "Yes? What about it?"

"Do you know why that crown has one of the compass pieces on it?"

"Well-"

"It's been handed down for generations…that have expanded over the last 1,000 years! When Cranberry broke the compass, he kept one of the piece for himself, the first center piece, but your piece, the second center piece, fell right in where your garden stands now."

"I-"

Once Huckleberry started, he was not going to back down. "When they began to rebuild the kingdom, someone found the piece, built a crown, and used the piece as the center jewel. That person was your great great great great great great great (and a lot more greats) grandfather, Éclair. He was one of the last remaining Luffs before everyone but my brother died. He gave the crown to his daughter, Princess Butterscotch, and ever since then the crown was passed through the generations of self proclaimed royalty."

Huckleberry then grinned. "But at least everyone in the royal family made great leaders, so no one complained."

"So I've got a bit of Luff in me- what does that have to do with anything?"

Huckleberry stared pacing in midair. What to say…it was all coming together now! "If you put two and two together, you're technically next in line for the Luff throne (technically) which means you're supposed to be the possessor of the Marvelous Compass. But, recall the Luff King, who also never died because of the curse. He was still out there…and he knew that the compass's base was hidden somewhere in the palace."

Éclair clutched the music box.

"Yes…so the king secretly snuck into your palace, got a job there, and searched for the base. He found it. Now, he just needed to get rid of you, and to find the rest of the pieces to returned the Luff Empire back to its former glory, and to bring all the full blooded Luffs back to life, and completely wipe out _your_ bloodline. So he took someone very close to you, transformed him into a fearsome beast, and had you taken away…to Hatesong Tower! And that's not all…in ancient Luff transcripts, it spoke of the Children of Fate, destined to stop the Waffle Kingdom from falling into the same fate as the Luff Empire…"

Éclair gasped, as she had heard of the legend herself. "The Man in Green, the Green Thunder…a girl who can bend reality at will with a magical instrument…a two-tailed kit with amazing knowledge exceeding his years…a warrior of slight darkness…and one that's literally unknown! They are the Children of Fate! Luigi and his friends!"

"Right. So the Luff King, in disguise, was the one who found Luigi, who at the time was just some poor sucker who wanted to be just like his brother, and gave him the base and to find all the pieces for him…and all he would have to do would be to sit, watch, and wait until he could claim his throne once again. I told you he was crazy!"

"…then…a fearsome beast? Is that the-"

_"Éclair…" _

"Huckleberry?"

"That wasn't me…"

The fuzzy brown bear thing bashed down the locked door and walked over to Éclair.

"Éclair…you must get out of here! Urgh…"

The creature collapsed to the floor in pain. Huckleberry's eyes widened as tears flowed to Éclair's eyes.

"What has happened to you?"

"Curse…transformed me…I had no free will… its wearing off…and he's coming…"

Éclair heard Huckleberry start to growl, and turned to see that his mauve eyes were ablaze with anger.

"We need to get you out of here, Éclair! We can't wait for Luigi any longer!" Huckleberry said, frantically trying to scrap up an idea. Éclair just gazed down at the fuzzy brown creature before her, then reached up on the bed and grabbed the music box.

"I…found your music box…" she whispered as she opened it. The monster's eyes widened.

"How? I had the key hidden and everything…"

"That doesn't matter…why did you hide it from me?"

"I didn't. I hid it from…him…"

"We need to leave, like, NOW!" Huckleberry cried hysterically. He, too, was on the brink of tears, but for a far different reason than Éclair.

"Huckleberry! What's wrong?"

"He's coming! He'll be here any moment now!"

"Who?"

"The Luff King!" cried Huckleberry, the creature, and a third voice that had just arrived. Huckleberry yelled, Éclair gasped, and the lump of fur lying helplessly on the ground was suddenly seized by the entity at the doorway.

"You…your curse seems to be wearing, eh?" the tall man snickered darkly. The monster tried to struggle free of the iron grip around his neck.

"Let him go! Why are you using innocent people just for your own plots, you lazy jerk!" Éclair shouted.

"Éclair! No!" Huckleberry called. The sweet princess ducked and covered as the Luff King sent a shockwave through his minion's body. Éclair screamed, and Huckleberry was right there to protect her. When the Luff King dropped the creature, he lost his human nature and when back to a rabid beast, with toxic green goo seething from his teeth. The Luff King threw the monster down the stairs and yelled, "Get back to where you belong, cretin! We must wait for my compass to arrive!"

Éclair broke down in tears as Huckleberry, despite being scared out of his wits, flew toward the king. He sent a ray of light out of his hand and hit the king square in the side. The ancient man hissed and turned to the tiny child spirit.

"Huckleberry…it's been a long time, hasn't it?" he said with a smirk as he snatched Huckleberry out of the air. "Hm, a thousand years, perhaps?"

"Let me go!"

"I still remember the day I finished you…but pray tell, why did you end up a humanoid spirit rather than wispy like your old pal Screamy?"

"Cranberry protected me!" Huckleberry snorted back. "You know he was destined to give the hero who's going to stop you the 6th compass piece!"

"Hmph, that "special" kid? He's the one who drove the council mad to build the Marvelous Compass and put us to our end! And you dare says he's a savior of some sort?"

"YES!"

"That doesn't matter- you should've seen his the vision of his "departure" anyway…"

"Shut up! I did! And you wanna know what else I saw? The current future! And you know what it was? Luigi brutally beating you to a pulp! And don't you bring up Screamy either- he was the most innocent out of all of us and you completely screwed him up!"

"I don't have time for you. I didn't way back then either! I mainly came for Éclair…the mere fact my minion was up here was just icing on the cake."

He tossed Huckleberry down the stairs then grabbed Éclair next. Éclair tried to squirm out of the iron grip, but that was pretty fruitless.

"Who do you think you are?" she snarled.

"Éclair? You don't recognize me? What a shame…especially since you are a guest in my OWN castle…"

"What are you tal-" she froze in midsentence. And it hit her hard. His own castle? The statue in the hall? The familiar look…

"No! You're-"

"Enh, you took too long to answer…"

The Luff King covered Éclair's mouth then disappeared into the secret passage, leaving Huckleberry sprawled out in the main stairway.

"Oh boy…future's not looking so bright anymore…" he struggled to sit up, even as a spirit he had still been weakened. Then he cried, "Luff King, you'll never get away with this! ...ÉCLAIR!"

Éclair, slowly drifting into unconsciousness, was screaming in her head for Luigi. For someone to save her and her kingdom.

And little did she know her compass piece was glowing the entire time.


	43. Gotta Be Fate or Something

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 42: Gotta Be Fate or Something

"…that was deep."

"Definitely."

Luigi clutched the piece of the compass in his hand, slightly afraid to put it in. Would the curse that wiped out the Luffs affect him and his friends if he were to put the entire Compass together?

"Look at Grimble Forest…" Malon breathed. "The golden aura…it's been replaced by darkness!"

"It's as if this forest was protect by Cranberry the last thousand years, and in one swift move the toll of a thousand years overcame the grove," Knuckles decided.

Tails quivered. "…and the ruins are no more too. That means there's absolutely nothing left of the Luffs. No people, no ruins-"

"But we still do have the artifact," finished Meta Knight, motioning to the compass Luigi was gripping so tightly to.

"Luigi? Are you going to put the piece in or not?" Hayzee asked.

"Oh, what? Uh…yeah…"

Luigi took the 6th piece and place it in the center of the compass- the remaining piece was to fit in the center of THAT piece. The shockwave zipped up his arm, teaching him the move that had protected Cranberry for so long, Magnetic Field. He also learned of the place Éclair was being held- positing in the far north, Hatesong Tower.

"LUIGI!" Éclair's voice arose out of the compass, making everyone but Luigi jump. Luigi, instead, swooned over the very sound.

"Ah, Éclair…it's been awhile…"

"Luigi, wherever you are…you MUST hurry! Time is running out too quickly…I need…your help…_Child of Fate…you're all that's left…"_

Luigi gasped. "I hear her clearer than ever before…but then why is she slowly trailing off?"

"Something could be happening to her?" suggested Knuckles. This sent Luigi into a spin.

"Then we've gotta hurry!"

"Yeah…see you…"

Luigi had started running off, now that the palace's gate was visible again, but then stopped. "What do you mean, Knuckles?"

"Well, we got the Compass Piece…and well-"

"Oh yeah… the decision…"

Knuckles grinned. "It's been actually kinda fun, to tell the truth. Hardly ever get a chance to use my strength like that anymore…I've had nothing do but guard the M.E. Ever since Team Sonic split…"

"What do you mean by that Knuckles?" Malon asked, eyeing Tails suddenly whimper. Knuckles shrugged.

"A few months back, in my world, everyone was basically part of a 'team'. The main ones were Team Dark, Team Chaotix, and Team Rose. Then there was Team Sonic- me, Sonic obviously, and Tails. But once the 'true blue' learned to teleport, it was bye bye us!"

"Um…yeah…" Tails put in. "Sonic is only around to beat up Eggman, and then he always leaves again..."

"And neither of us have been on an adventure with Sonic since…" Knuckles finished. "Sure, we were there to support him every now and then, but it wasn't the three of us like back in the day…"

His gaze turned to Luigi.

"That why I was so concerned for your team, I suppose…I don't want another team ending up like mine. But you're a good guy, Thunder-" Luigi made a face. "-and by the looks of it, you guys are pretty unbreakable."

"I suppose we are…" Luigi said with a smile, turning to his friends. "And it would be even more unbreakable if you were in it."

Knuckles' eyes widened as Luigi's smile grew into a grin. "I can_ really_ stay? -I mean, uh, I dunno…I probably should get back to my duty…"

"But you have the Master Emerald with you, so there's really no need to go back!" Tails pointed out.

"And you have been quite useful, after all…" added Meta Knight.

Knuckles smiled and turned to Malon. "And what do you have to say? Still think I should fall down a hole or something?"

"No…I think you should stay with us too." Malon muttered quietly. "If it weren't for you, we'd probably still be stuck in…well, former Grimble Forest."

"Aw, looks like someone's finally warming up to me…now YOU don't want me to leave!"

Malon smirked. "Like I really wanted you to leave before…"

"Um yes. I recalled your very words-"

"Kidding! But I still would like you to stay, Knuckles…"

Knuckles put up his hands. "Okay…I suppose since everyone is _so_ attached to me…I'll stay."

The gang cheered and patted Knuckles on the back until Screamy piped up.

"Hey! Did you forget about Screamy? Screamy wants to join! Screamy wants to be just like the great Cranberry!"

"What exactly do you have to do, Screamy?" Knuckles asked, looked down at his apparent Soul Partner. Screamy fell silent.

"Uh…Screamy don't know. Screamy will have to deliver something. But not until much later. Right now, Screamy just wants to follow Knuckles."

"I guess its okay…weirdo little random onion thing…" Luigi chuckled nervously.

_Screamy:_

_HP: "40"_  
_Moves:_  
_Moan (4 atk)_  
_Possess (2 FP attack varies)_  
_Scream (5 FP 7 atk)_

_Special Ability: Doesn't really have one- but he is destined to make a very important delivery_

"WEIRDO!" Blooey cried. "Sorry- had to get it out of my system…"

"Leave him alone… I like Screamy…" Knuckles defended.

"Well of course you do…why else would I defend Blooey all the time?" Malon shrugged.

"Yeah…hey! STOP DOING THAT!"

"Aw, you know I love you! Who need a hug-"

"Ah! Watch the tan!"

"You've been tan for way too long for it to still causing any pain!"

"…can we just go now?" Tails questioned, looking warily at Luigi.

"I thought you'd never ask…"

**Back at the Garden-**

"We're alive!" sang Malon. "Ha! Take that!"

Frogette, who happened to be working in the garden, was completely surprised.

"Oh my goodness…you HAVE returned! How-"

"Let's just say it had to be fate or something," chuckled Luigi.

"Can we let that tagline go? Just for a little while?" asked Meta Knight.

"Sorry- it's becoming a habit…"

"You're all alright and accounted for, right?"

"Yes, I assure you were all here…" Luigi replied. "And we've learned that Éclair was kidnapped and taken to Hatesong Tower!"

"And we're going to save her!" yelled Knuckles, pumping a fist.

"Pumped much?" questioned Malon.

"Sorry! The thought of adventure actually has me excited for once…"

"Too bad it's nearly over…" sighed Tails. "What happens after this? Do we just…go home?"

"Isn't that was happens after every usual adventure?" Meta Knight asked.

"Well, yeah, I suppose…" he turned to the gang. "but we've just met each other! It's not like the members of Team Mario who think another goodbye is just a shrug! How will we know if we'll even be able to activate our teleporting abilities ever again?"

Luigi cringed and put a hand on Tails' shoulder. "Take it easy, Tails! No point in worrying about something like that until the time actually comes…"

"Who says we even have to go home? We're not sidekicks anymore! We don't have to follow what the "heroes" do! We can decide for ourselves! And maybe I'll just stay here, how about THAT?" Malon boldly stated in an outburst, folding her arms and smirking afterwards.

"You go girl! Woot! Woot!" cheered Blooey, also throwing in a victory dance for effect.

"Perhaps this is a discuss for the boat ride back to Rogueport…" Meta Knight decided. "Maybe Bosco can give us some insight or advice or something."

Knuckles turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by Bosco?"

Before Meta Knight could say anything, Tails started up on his description. "Bosco is the really nice old man who drives our ship and takes us place to place and I wonder if he'll really take us to Hatesong Tower since the rumors about that place are _terrifying _and he's teaching me how to drive a ship just in case one day and where the heck did Frogette go-"

"Tails! What did I tell you about rambling on like that!"

"Sorry! I got carried away…again…"

Everyone just stood around, sweat dropping.

"Um, maybe we should go back to the boat, ah?" Hayzee asked nervously. Luigi nodded and instantly started jogging through Frogfield, his team following close behind.

"I couldn't have said it better myself!"

**At the boat-**

"Hi Bosco! We've got another round of team members aboard!" Tails announced the moment he stepped on the boat. "Did you see Grimble Forest change from a golden color to that dark wood?"

Bosco looked genuinely confused. "What are you talking about, if you pardon my asking?"

Tails cocked his head as everyone else entered, beside Knuckles and Screamy who were at the back.

"What are _you_ talking about?"

"I meant about Grimble Forest. If you haven't noticed, I'm quite old, and Grimble Forest has always been a dark wood as far as I can remember. Maybe a thousand years ago it was a golden color, but I'm not that old to see it become the dark wood it is today!" Bosco chuckled lightheartedly.

"So you mean it's always been a dark wood?" squeaked Jerry. Bosco nodded.

"But we entered and it was absolutely beautiful!" protested Malon. "Well, not now, but that's because-"

"The protection of the forest is now gone…" trailed Luigi.

"I find it weird that we were the only ones to see its splendor…it's almost like an honor…" Meta Knight said as he took a seat.

Tails sighed and gave a soft smile. "Well…if you were old enough, you would've loved the sight, Bosco…"

"Yo! Can I get in?" Knuckles plain interrupted, trying make his way through Luigi, Hayzee, Blooey, and Malon. Now it was Bosco's turn to cock his head.

"Ah, and who might this fellow be?"

"His name is Knuckles! And his Soul Partner is Screamy, somehow…" Tails said proudly, taking his spot next to the driver.

Knuckles just sort of stared at Bosco until he managed a "Hey. What's up?"

Screamy then bounced out from behind him and started jumping around like mad. "I'm Screamy! I'm Screamy! Screamy will have something to deliver! But now is not the right time!"

"Nice to meet you, Screamy. I hope you guys don't have anymore pickups, because I'm out of room on the boat at this point…"

"No worries, Bosco!" Luigi exclaimed. "I think we're finally complete as a team!"

He beamed at Malon, Tails, Meta Knight, and Knuckles, who grinned back, then turned to Blooey, Jerry, Torque, Hayzee, and Screamy, who 3 out of 5 glared back.

"Yeah, we're complete all right…"

. . . .

"So, where to go next?" Knuckles asked once they arrived in Rogueport. "Ugh, this place is repulsive."

"Trust us, we know…" chuckled Luigi. "Though it wouldn't kill us to pay the West side another visit."

Malon instantly became excited. "Awesome! I love the Westside! But maybe we should level up Screamy first, since he's somehow already a Super Rank and we have three Shine Sprites…"

Knuckles grinned at Screamy. "You want to, Screams?"

"Screams?" "Do you give _everyone_ a nickname or something?"

Knuckles just made a face as Screamy excitedly replied. "I like Screams! Screamy wants to get more powerful too. Sounds fun! Whee!"

Not arguing with that logic, they left the harbor and went to the Main Plaza…only to hear something completely frightening.

"I'm Bowser, baby!"

Just as they entered, they saw Team Bowser right of front of them- lucky for them, they had their backs turned.

Ganondorf smacked his head. "Oh brother, baby…"

As they trotted off in the direction Kammy came from, Luigi's team walked up and did a double check to make sure they weren't seeing things.

Luigi: ?

"Uh…I think we should just go wait at the train station…" Tails trailed.

"That was truly random…" agreed Malon. "Perhaps we'll come back later…"

Everyone nodded and backed away, pretending what they "saw" was pure pretend.

. . .

They had fought and bickered between whether to pick a flower, go and gamble, and try the lottery, until Luigi firmly stated that they go check out the train station, since he had this nagging feeling inside him that Mario was sure the pass through there. Malon, Tails, and Meta Knight had wanted to show Link, Sonic, and Kirby how they were doing, and Knuckles just decided to go with the flow.

"Okay…we're here." Blooey said. "And I don't see any-"

"Whoa, Team Mario's right there!" yelped Jerry watching as the team in question was debating over a recent e-mail they'd received.

"How'd you know, Luigi?" Knuckles asked. Luigi shrugged.

"Killer Luigi instinct."

Mario was trying to tell everyone to calm down until they knew where the last Crystal Star was, which meant they had to make another trip to the Thousand Year Door. They eventually agreed with the plan and started heading down the stairs. However, they instantly noticed Team Luigi grinning at them. At the sight of Knuckles, Samus instantly ran down and right up to him.

"Knuckles! Is that _you?" _Samus asked, staring at the red echidna. Knuckles looked up and grinned.

"Well, well, well. It's Samus! Long time no see, eh?"

"You two know each other?" Screamy asked. Knuckles nodded.

"Of course! I happened to be off Angel Island when Sonic brought her to our world!"

Samus struck a tough pose. "We were like two destructive peas in a pod!"

"We were unstoppable!"

They both sighed. "Ah, memories…"

Malon placed her hands on her hips. "I'd like to hear this story on our way to Hatesong Tower!"

"When did Knuckles join you guys?" Sonic interrupted with a question. "I'd think he'd rather be back home guarding the Master Emerald than having a little fun!"

"We found him with his Master Emerald in the Grumble Forest!" Tails explained as Knuckles made a face. "He told us it teleported him to help us in our quest!"

"Yeah, we couldn't have gotten our second-to-last compass piece without his help!" added Malon.

Kirby jumped over to Meta Knight and started him in the eyes. "You haven't been kissing Bow lately, have you?"

Meta Knight rolled his eyes. "No, Kirby…that was _just_ acting…"

"We're headed to Hatesong Tower to stop the Chestnut King once and for all!" Knuckles finished, making a muscle and everything. "Princess Éclair WILL be saved!"

"And_ you're_ taking Knuckles?" Sonic asked. Luigi nodded when Knuckles gave him a sideways glance.

"Yes. Yes were are. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Er, uh…no. No. I was just making sure, that's all."

"Wait…if you're going to your final area, shouldn't you have all parts of your compass?" Samus asked.

"That's the best part! Princess Éclair has the last Marvelous Compass Piece embedded in her crown so we could find her!" Luigi explained. "You should hear about our time in Grumble Forest!"

"Besides the fact we got lost a bunch of times…" complained Jerry.

"Yeah, thanks to Luigi!" blurted Blooey. All partners of Luigi's team glared at him except for Hayzee.

"We managed to get out, didn't we?" Luigi defended.

"Thanks to Knuckles…" mumbled Meta Knight. Knuckles smirked while Luigi hit his head.

"well, it's a long story, but here it goes…"

**Some length of time later-**

"…and so we stopped here for a rest after NOT seeing Bowser, Eggman, and Ganondorf randomly head to the east area!" Luigi finished.

"That's cool. We need to find a Crystal Star to save Peach from being some kind of tool and to stop a demon from being revived! announced Kirby. Team Luigi widened their eyes and slightly backed up.

"Um…okay…" Malon gulped.

"Glad our problems aren't like that! We're simply saving a sweet princess!" stated Tails.

"Good luck with that!" Luigi finished. "Let's roll, guys!"

Blooey pushed Luigi down while Torque sent him rolling.

"I did not mean THAT!"

Meta Knight sighed. "Why did I agree to this…"

Knuckles patted his back. "Just live with it buddy…"

They quickly chased after Luigi, and when Mario's gang rounded the corner they were shocked to see they were gone.

"Wow- they sure run away fast!"

"Ahem, well, anyway…"

**Back with Team Luigi-**

"Did you see that?" Knuckles gritted, obviously displeased with Sonic's reaction. The gang was currently at Merlon's leveling up Screamy. "He thinks I'm not a worthy team member or something! Hmph…"

"Don't let him taunt you. You're a marvelous addition to the team!" Luigi said positively.

"Why are you letting it bug you, Knuckles?" Tails asked. Knuckles grunted again, folded his arms, and turned away.

"ha. I'll never tell…"

"I still want to know the story of you and Samus met," stated Malon.

"That I may consider sharing."

"Okay! You're buddy has been maxed out to capacity!" Merlon announced, sending Screamy back to Knuckles. Screamy skipped over and happily showed Knuckles his new strength.

_Screamy:_

_HP: "45"_  
_Moves:_  
_Moan (4 atk)_  
_Possess (2 FP attack varies)_  
_Scream (5 FP 7 atk)  
__Scare Tactic (7 FP, Scares away opponents after growing 5 times his size. Also slightly increases attack and "HP")_

"Awesome Screams. Hatesong Tower will be no match for us, right?"

"Nuh uh! Screamy can take on anything!"

"He might be weird, but I like his spunk! A perfect character for a play!" Hayzee broadcasted.

"Whoa, double take…" Luigi trailed, ignoring the latest play outburst from Hayzee. "I've just realized. We're going to Hatesong Tower. Where the Chestnut King is. Where we're going to be beaten alive."

"We are not going to be beaten alive!" Malon retorted, shaking her head. "C'mon, Luigi. I know you're scared, but you're not THAT cowardly. Anymore. Do it for Éclair!"

Luigi instantly straightened up. "Right! For Éclair! For the very name that is the breath of love, hope, peace, friendship, humanity, courage-"

"All right, don't over do it. Yeesh."

"Hm, someone sounds a little jealous…" Knuckles teased. Malon instantly widened her eyes and attained a reddish tint to her cheeks.

"We've already happened to establish that I do not have a thing for Luigi, and if you and your barbaric ideas don't mind, I'll be returning to the ship. Come, Blooey."

Blooey just blinked as Malon marched out the door. "Yush, ma'am!"

Knuckles just rolled his eyes and sidled up to Luigi. "She totally digs you."

Luigi just stretched and attempted to be nonchalant about it. "Yeah, I know. It's definitely the mustache."

"The new question is do ya dig her back?"

"I'm going to walk away and pretend you never even asked that."

As Luigi walked out the door, Knuckles instantly started snickering.

"Wait, I don't get it. Why would Malon or Luigi dig? I thought you were the digger, Knuckles…" Tails asked, completely lost and confused. Knuckles chortled even harder.

"Oh come on Tails. You maybe be young, but you're definitely smart enough to know what that means."

"Well…I know what it means, in the context you're implying, but I don't see how you can figure that when they clearly deny-"

"You'll understand when you're older, Tails."

* * *

**:D**

**And guess what people? This is the last fully completed chapter of PLX which means I need to drag myself away from newer stories and focus on this one otherwise there's no update next week! Fun! **


	44. The Wind Plays Hatesongs

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 43: The Wind Plays Hate Songs

After Meta Knight finally convinced Tails, Knuckles, and the partners to get to the ship, they were instantly setting sail for Hatesong Tower to the far north. Everyone sat quietly, the only sound being the waves rushing behind them, except for the occasionally outburst of "Delivery!" from Screamy. Luigi was staring at his compass, Malon was getting bugged to make more grilled cheese before, quote, "They go into the tower on an empty stomach and die because their stomachs weren't filled with delicious grilled cheese" unquote, Tails was looking up any and all info on the place, Meta Knight was lost in his own thoughts, and Knuckles was staring at the Master Emerald. It sure was shiny…

"I'm bored." Malon stated, trying to shoo Blooey and Jerry away.

"You won't be bored when we're fending for our lives," murmured Meta Knight, not taking his eyes of the spot he was staring at on the ground.

"Who's to say that the tower's even scary? I bet it's just like any other dumb ol' tower…" Malon mumbled, now staring out the window. "I bet it's nothing compared to the dungeons Link has to go through…"

"According to the book, it used to be a dungeon of sorts, and it was started to be refurbished, until the weather surrounding the tower became frightfully bad, and now people stay away because the waters surrounding the air are quite dangerous!" Tails read. "Now it's filled with traps and things, telling anyone who enters to go away,"

"Oh, great…" Luigi cheered dully.

"It would make a great action sea adventure!" Hayzee gasped. "The Journey Through a Rough Sea to get to a Forbidden Tower!" Yes…I like the very sound of it!"

"We're probably just getting a little anxious since we're super-close to saving Éclair," Knuckles said intelligently, still gazing at his emerald.

"Why does it have to take so long?" groaned Jerry, smacking his head against the window.

"I know something that could move things along faster!" Malon exclaimed. "Knuckles can tell us a story!"

"Say what?"

"Remember how you said you've met Samus before? I still want to hear how it happened!"

"No."

"Come on Knuckles! There's nothing better to do!" urged Tails.

"I'm actually interested in this tale as well," Meta Knight added.

"I'm up for a yarn!" Bosco called.

Knuckles sweat dropped. "Now wait just a sec-"

"I want something to occupy my time!" Jerry cried, now kneeling before Knuckles. "PLEASE!"

"Maybe it might aspire a play if I listen…" Hayzee trailed.

"I don't think he could handle telling a story," Blooey said matter-of-factly.

Knuckles up his hands and jumped up. "I can tell a story just fine, thank you very much! Stop trying to pressure me into it!"

"Who's pressuring," Malon asked teasingly. "We just wanted to hear a simple tale to occupy our boredom."

"I still don't think you could handle-"

"ALL RIGHT! FINE! I will tell the story! Happy now?" Knuckles grumbled.

"I'm more terrified than happy…" shivered Luigi.

"Sorry Thunder."

"…"

Knuckles coughed, stepped to the center of the boat, then cast out his hand dramatically.

"Lady and gentlemen…the story you're about to hear is one full of strength, bravery, courage, and a good looking echidna-"

"Must be a fairy tale then…" snickered Malon jokingly, getting everyone else to lightly chuckle.

"Quiet, you. This story may have parts that aren't suitable for young children-"

"You're supposed to be telling us about how you met Samus!" Tails exasperated. "How can it not be suitable for 'young children'?"

"Shush! I'm starting! Okay, so I was taking a very short vacation from Angel Island, because I had heard trouble was brewing in Station Square! So, taking my very shiny and powerful master Emerald, I came riding down the streets of the city on a strong white stallion when a tall, blonde woman appeared-"

"Knuckles, tell the real story."

. . .

"C'mon Knuckles! I think I've finally met your match!"

"My only match is going to be one in my hand ready to burn you!"

"Disregarding how lame that was, I bet you couldn't handle it!"

To clear up the situation, Sonic was dragging (or rushing) Knuckles through the streets of Station Square. The hyperactive hedgehog had brought one of his friends from another world to visit, and was convinced that this mystery person could take Knuckles in a fight.

Now the echidna found himself away from his sacred duty, off his island, and flapping behind Sonic like a flag.

"Sonic, I don't want to tussle with one of you buddies, thank you very much."

"You haven't even met-"

"I don't care. We all know nothing beats me!"

Sonic smirked. "We'll see…"

Knuckles gave his friend a quizzical look until he noticed said friends suddenly wink. Instantly after that, Knuckles felt something whiz by his head. Knuckles yelped and ducked at the last moment. He snapped his head toward Sonic.

"What was that?"

"My friend."

Knuckles ducked again, finally able to see what was being launched at him- missiles. Fast one too.

"What kind of a friend is this?"

"One that kicks butt, that's for sure!" came a third voice, jumped down from a building and targeting Knuckles.

"Nice of you to drop in, Sam!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Stop calling me that. Nic."

Knuckles glanced up and came face to face with a metallic orange power suit, cannon aimed at his face.

"You're friends with a tin can?"

That set off Sonic's 'alien' friend almost instantly. Fast paced shooting fired out of the powerful arm cannon, Knuckles barely being fast enough to dodge! He started to run, each missile just missing his heels. Knuckles glared at Sonic, who was casually standing on the sidelines grinning like a fool.

"Friend? More like a hired assassin to kill me!"

"Aw, c'mon Knux! Sam here just wants to see if you really as strong as you are," Sonic stated with a shrug. Knuckles tripped, then rolled away from another blast.

"The only reason I'll even think of fighting is to save myself, not for your own little amusement!"

"You should be fearing for your own safety anyway…" Sonic commented as "Sam" started dropping bombs all around Knuckles. Knuckles yelped and sprung upwards, just barely missing the explosion. He then whirled around to see "Sam" targeted another missile at him. Snarling, he crackled his namesakes.

"Fine. Time to get serious."

Sam's cannon went upward after firing such a blast, but to her complete surprise, Knuckles had caught the missile and what's more, threw it back at the same speed and velocity it was fired. Sam honestly wasn't expecting it and receiving a taste of revenge when it plowed right into the stomach area. Knuckles jumped over, hardly able to believe Sam was fallen so easy by one blow, and grabbed the shoulder pads.

"Pathetic. Now I'll show you want I can really do!"

He instantly punched Sam in the "face", effectively cracking the helmet in two, splitting it right down the middle, and revealing the face behind. Knuckles yelped and bounded back almost instantly. Sam apparently wasn't mad about being exposed- at the moment.

"You idiot! You broke my helmet in two! It's impossible to do that!" she stared at Knuckles' fist. "…those are pretty impressive…"

Sonic folded his arms. "Uh, hey! I shattered your helmet too when we first met! I'm just as strong as him!"

Knuckles blinked. "I can't believe I nearly had my butt blasted off by a girl!" he then held up his fists. "You really think this is impressive? Aw, these? They ain't nothing!"

Samus stood up, smirking. "Yeah, you're right. They ain't nothing."

She charged her cannon forward, conking Knuckles straight in the head and knocking him over. Sonic cringed and went, "Ooh."

"Aw…ow."

"That's what you get for being so…ugh. Either way, if you lay off the macho talk, I think I might be able to stand you."

"You hit me upside the head with a metallic cannon and you say we're somewhat friends now?"

"You want me to really kick your butt?"

"No thank you."

"Then I guess we're friends…"

Sonic shrugged. "That was lame. I wanted to see you blow Knuckles up! Not this friendship ceremony!"

"Well I at least owe Knuckles for being on the verge of owning him," Samus said while rolling her eyes.

"Why I outta-"

"You outta not."

"Right…"

"I still want to see someone get pummeled! It was supposed to be like a clash of the titans or something!" Sonic continued to complain. Samus and Knuckles exchanged looks before grinning slyly. Sonic gulped.

"Wanna beat him up?"

"I could use some target practice."

"H-Hey wait a minute guys! I was only kidding!"

Samus turned to Knuckles - "I still owned you."- before charging at Sonic. Knuckles sweat dropped, hearing Sonic yelped in the background before -somewhat- joining in.

"This girl's crazy…but you can't help but respect her."

. . .

Knuckles sat sweat dropping while everyone else was laughing.

"You were beaten by a girl!" Malon laughed. "So much for a macho good-looking echidna on a white stallion-"

"She was a worthy foe, that's all I can say. And afterwards we had sporadic spars- with my consent."

"Well that sure killed some time!" chuckled Luigi.

"At least we're on good terms now," Knuckles said with a small smile.

"We'll be getting ready to save Princess Éclair once and for all tomorrow…" Tails trailed, sitting in his seat, tails wrapped around him. "It's weird…knowing that you're going to fight someone instead of working up to it and fighting at the last minute.

"It's weird expecting it, huh?" Meta Knight asked. Tails nodded.

"Precisely!"

"It's definitely given us a different experience…" Malon hummed contently. "Who's all nervous about it?"

Luigi's hand shot up first, followed by everyone else until Knuckles finally caved and raised his hand halfway. Malon folded her arms and made a face.

"Wienies! And I thought I was the only girl here…"

Almost instantly the rest of the team was shouting and arguing over how they most certainly_ weren't_ a girl (especially Knuckles), until Malon shouted over all of them that she was only kidding.

"Well everyone knows calling a manly, macho, man a female is an insult…"

"How is being called a female an insult?"

"It's like a sign of weakness!"

"Hello? Girl speaking?"

"Yeah?"

"Ugh, sexist!" Malon exclaimed, glaring at the crowd of guys she was stuck with.

"Take it easy Malon. No need to get so worked up…" Hayzee chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, and thought we were the ones that were nervous," murmured Meta Knight under his breath. Malon relaxed, sighed, and folded her arms.

"Alright, I'm nervous too…excited, but nervous. Isn't that called being anxious?"

Luigi shrugged. "Maybe. But either way, we've gotta be ready for whatever's going to be thrown at us tomorrow. It's not like we can hide behind a trash can and shout Mario's name or something…"

Everyone glanced at Luigi.

"…what?"

"Well, I recommend getting some sleep, if you really want to be ready for tomorrow," Bosco called from the front. Everyone settled down and looked out the window- dark. It was darker that usual, thanks to them being on course for Hatesong Tower. Tails put his ear to the window. He could heard the wind whistling as if it was in pain, causing him to back away instantly.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind catching some Z's…ha ha…"

The group gave Tails weird looks but shrugged it off. Jerry yawned and nearly fell asleep on Hayzee while Blooey started going on about how he didn't even need sleep, until Screamy possessed him and made him change his mind.

Luigi chucked. "I think I like Screamy too."

"Yeah, beddy-bye for Blooey!" Blooey exclaimed, running around in a circle. "Wait-no! That wasn't me! That was Screamy! And I- suddenly want a cookie!"

Jerry, Hayzee, and Torque burst out laughing while Luigi stifled his giggles. Meta Knight shook his head.

"Pre-sleep hyper activeness is the worse…"

"Perhaps its just nervousness?" Tails concluded, giggling afterward. Meta Knight rolled his eyes and swished his cape.

"C'mon people, get to bed before I make you!"

The partners all instantly exchanged looks. Knuckles kicked Blooey to free him from Screamy's possession while Malon caught Blooey.

"There! Now you're free!" she said happily.

"I don't know what was worse- being possessed or being kicked to be free!"

Knuckles just folded his arms. "I could've always punched him out of you-"

"Ahaha, glad that wasn't necessary!"

"I'm glad it wasn't either…" the echidna then turned around to his partner. "Why did you possess him in the first place?"

"Blooey wasn't listening so Screamy wanted to help!"

"He never listens anyway…" grumbled Luigi.

"I heard that! Malon, let me go! LET ME GO!"

Malon sweat dropped. "You make it seem like I'm supposed to choose between you and Luigi and that puts me in a very uncomfortable position-"

"Why? Because it's your Soul Partner vs. your Soul match?" snickered Knuckles.

"Ha ha. I never thought you had such a sense of humor."

"I have one, I only use it when the time is right! What did you think I was, a boring old grumpy guy or something?"

"Yeah."

Knuckles sweat dropped. "Hmph, well then…"

"Well, g'night everybody…" Tails trailed, yawning while padding off to the first bedroom. "No point in stalling around arguing…"

"Tails is right-"

"Of course I'm right!"

Luigi made a slight face, then continued. "-we really need to be hitting the sack. See you all in the morning!"

Blooey, Jerry, and Torque grumbled something while Hayzee said goodnight and Screamy went off about how cool Knuckles was.

"Well, good night…" Malon trailed, turning around and practically gliding into the second bedroom.

"A lot of good nights are going around…" Meta Knight trailed, following shortly after Tails. Luigi looked like he was going to say something, but then sighed and headed after Meta Knight. Knuckles, however, was distracted by his Master Emerald…only because it was showing a slight unpleasant vision.

"Well, that's certainly going to nag me in the back of my mind now…"

"Knuckles? Are you headed to bed?"

"Whuzzut? Oh uh, yeah…I was just going."

Knuckles awkwardly stalked off, leaving Bosco to drive the rest of the way to Hatesong.

**Later that night-**

Knuckles gave up on trying to sleep. The Master Emerald's vision was driving him mad. Perhaps if he shared it with someone it, he'd be able to calm down a little…

"Just one person…"

He got up off the floor and glanced up at Tails, who was making a soft purring noise as he slept. Knuckles preferred to keep the info to himself, but if he did, there'd be no way he'd be getting to sleep tonight! He stoop up above Tails, lowered down…and started to poke him.

"Tails…Tails!"

"Urgh, what?"

"Sorry…were you sleeping?"

"Was. What do you want?"

Knuckles enlarged his emerald to full size, then chanted. The Master Emerald started glowing so brightly it lit up the room, and unknowingly to the duo, it had woke up Luigi.

"What's going on Knuckles…"

"Watch. Look…"

Tails peered into the emerald- it was currently showing a vision of Team Mario! They were standing in Rogueport Harbor, at the docks, hugging and saying good-bye. Then, words that no one ever expected-

"We've decided to stay in our own worlds for awhile."

"We're going to be apart for a long time…"

And the vision stopped.

"No…way…"

Knuckles and Tails let out yelps and turned to Luigi, who's eyes were as wide as they could possibly get. Knuckles rushed over and threw his hand over Luigi's mouth.

"You can't say a word about what you've just seen to anyone, you hear me?"

Tails just stared ahead. "Why…why would they separate?"

"It was a future vision- that doesn't mean it'll come true," Knuckles grumbled, backing away from Luigi. Luigi straightened up his mustache then glanced at knuckles.

"The Master Emerald just showed you that Team Mario might split up?"

"Yeah…and if they split, then we have to too."

Tails eyes grew even wider. "N-No! I don't wanna split up! It's not fair! We just got to know each other and I don't want to have to follow their plans or whatever! It's not fair! I won't go! I-"

"Tails!" Luigi and Knuckles hissed in a whisper. Tails covered up his mouth with a pillow.

"I'm sorry…" was muffled out. Knuckles sighed and rubbed his temples.

"This is exactly why I wasn't going to tell anyone…we don't know if it'll even come true!" Knuckles complained. "And now Tails is all riled up! I thought you'd be a little more knowledgeable about the situation at least!"

Tails squeezed the pillow. "I'm sorry Knuckles. I'm just scared…I don't wanna be separated from you guys, you know…"

Luigi stood up and patted Tails' head. "Just take it easy kiddo…no one's going to be splitting up-"

"Who's not going to be splitting up?" Meta Knight asked, now standing in the doorway. Knuckles smacked his head.

"Beautiful. Now to be fair we've gotta tell Malon!" Knuckles exasperated. Meta Knight just blinked.

"Erm, what's going on…"

Luigi sighed and invited Meta Knight in. "Might as well tell you now…Knuckles received a vision that Team Mario may be splitting up, and if they do-"

"Then WE have to!" Tails exclaimed, throwing his head into the pillow again.

"Which might not even happen!" Knuckles added sharply.

Meta Knight covered himself with his cape. "Well don't bother dwelling over a possibility when we'll be fighting for the lives of a princess and a kingdom tomorrow. We need our mind quick-witty, sharp, and most importantly focused."

Luigi nodded. "Right, Meta Knight-"

"Still…we need to tell Malon. She's a part of the team, and as of now everyone but her knows."

"That's because she's lucky enough to still be sleeping…" murmured Tails.

"And if we tell Malon, she'll either be just as or more upset than Tails…" Knuckles muttered under his breath.

"Someone has to tell her," Meta Knight protested.

"I'll do it."

The group turned to Luigi who was hiding his face behind his hat.

"I dunno when, but I'll do it. No point in distracting her with this tidbit of info while we're trekking through Hatesong Tower, though."

Meta Knight nodded. "Smart move, Luigi…"

He then teleported from wherever he had arrived from. After watching the aftermath of the spectacle, Knuckles shrunk the Master Emerald and went back to bed.

"Now I'm sorry I showed anyone…" Knuckles grunted.

Tails was still slightly out of it. Luigi sighed and walked over.

"Get to sleep, Tails. The last thing you'd want to be tomorrow is sleepy."

"I know." Tails fell back onto the pillow, but was by no means going to sleep yet. "Luigi?"

"Yeah?"

"…you promise we won't split up, please? I won't be able to go to sleep without assurance at least…"

Luigi glanced out the door and across the hall- that's where Malon and the partners were sleeping. He frowned. He had a gut feeling that they'd have to be separated anyway, but would it really be due to the influence of Team Mario. He pulled out the compass. This thing was made to see the future, right? Perhaps if he got all of it, he'd be able to find out…

"I promise we won't split up. No matter what."

Tails nodded and already started to doze off. Luigi wished he could do the same, but the wind playing hate songs just outside the window didn't ease his spirits in the slightest.

* * *

**That Samus story was totally lagging, but that was the only part in the chapter that wasn't complete. (I skipped around). And now I seriously need to get cracking on this story...why must the upcoming chapters be longer than the PMX2 ones? that ain't right!**


	45. Tower's First Trials

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 44: Tower's First Trials

When everyone woke up the following morning, the sound of furious waves beating up against jagged rocks filled the boat. Talk about a pleasant way to start a dangerous climb through a tower. Luigi, Knuckles, Tails, and Meta Knight vowed not to say a word about the vision until Luigi had informed Malon about it. And this went double especially because Malon was bright and chipper, unlike anyone else.

"Oooh! This is so exciting! It's like I'm Link going into one of his dungeons! Except I don't have a sword, but oh well!"

"We must defeat the Chestnut King. We must!" Luigi rallied, pumping a fist.

The boat slowly pulled into the closest thing that was a dock- a piece of land jetting out the side of the base of the cliff. Everything was silent, a cloud of worry practically floating over their heads.

"Well, here we are. The final destination…" Bosco trailed. Luigi shivered.

"Didja have to say it like that?"

"My apologies…"

"Well, who's going first?" Blooey blurted out. Everyone glanced at Luigi.

"Sigh…I knew it had to be me…"

He cautiously poked his head out of the door of the boat, looking around several times before being somewhat pushed out the door.

"Uncalled for!"

"My hand slipped…" Blooey protested, stepping out of the boat also.

"You don't even have a hand," Tails pondered.

Once everyone was at long last off the boat, they looked up…and saw a huge cliff they needed to scale just to get up to the tower. Luigi gulped.

"I take it we're going up there?" Knuckles asked. "Won't be a problem for me, don't know about the rest of you."

"It doesn't help that its raining…" Meta Knight added, a little pessimistically.

"Well I'm going for it!" Knuckles exclaimed, running straight for the cliff wall, Screamy following excitedly behind (while screaming happily). Meta Knight blinked before spreading his wings and flying after, being high tailed by Tails. They grabbed onto their respective partners also.

"There's no way we're beating them…" Malon sighed, now clinging to Blooey who was being strangely quiet.

"Who said it was a race?" Luigi asked, holding out a hand. "…but if you want to get up there faster, then hang onto me."

"B-but the only way you can get up there faster is if we super-jump."

"Perhaps…do you trust me?"

"Of course…"

"You even said it yourself, you're jumping ability is good, but not nearly as awesome as mine!"

Malon rolled her eyes and accepted Luigi's hand. "Aren't you worried?"

Luigi shook his head. "Every day of my life! But sometimes you just need to be calm for the sake of other people."

He pulled Malon close (making said girl blush) then sprung forward like a highly-coiled spring, also hanging onto Hayzee. The force of being propelled like that was enough to make Malon gasp.

Meanwhile, Screamy was hitching a ride on Knuckles' head cheering his name while Knuckles rapidly thrust his fists into the rock, working his way up quite fast. Tails and Meta Knight practically hovered over him, shooting upwards like torpedoes. Luigi bounded from rock to rock, jumping at very impressive heights thanks to his Super Boots. Malon clung onto him for dear life, terrified to even think about looking down.

"How much farther?" Tails asked in a slightly complaining voice.

"We get there, when we get there…" Meta Knight mumbled, eyes focused only on the top.

"ha! I'm not even slightly tired yet!" Knuckles exclaimed, still climbing away.

"Hey guys!" Luigi called, jumped up next to them, then instantly pushing off of a rock and getting ahead of them.

"What the-"

"Ha ha!"

"This is so dangerous…" moaned Jerry, swinging in Meta Knight's grasp.

"This rain is bothering me…" Torque grumbled.

"Screamy doesn't mind the rain!" Screamy called cheerfully.

"We're almost to the top!" Malon called, as the edge of the cliff became closer and closer.

"Cool!"

Next thing anyone knew Tails was shooting upwards like a bottle rocket, nearly hitting Knuckles and Screamy with Torque. Knuckles grunted and punched the cliff wall so hard he made it crack, which also made Luigi, who already had bad enough traction as it was, slightly slipped and nearly let go of Malon. Malon, however, was one step ahead, pulling away from Luigi and leaping up the cliff all on her own. This made it easier for Luigi to grip the edge without falling, and still hang onto Hayzee.

"Unh!"

Malon didn't have as much spring in her step as Luigi did, but her hidden acrobatic skill made up for it. She'd jump to a ledge, reach up and grab another, flip herself up, then landed perfectly still on even the narrowest foothold. When she neared the edge, Meta Knight held out a hand to help her up while Luigi bounced up and nearly tripped upon himself.

"I have got to work on my landing friction…or whatever it's called."

"Traction, Luigi," Tails said with a smile.

"Wow…now that'd be a great place for a horror story!" Hayzee exclaimed, once he was safe on solid ground. Everyone blinked and turned around.

There, as big as life, was Hatesong Tower. A streak of lightning bolted across the sky.

"Talk about an inviting exterior…"

"Well Éclair is in that tower somewhere and it's up to us to get here out!" Luigi exclaimed, raising a fist.

"How do we get inside? It's locked!" Hayzee exclaimed, now standing next to the door and contemplating a way to get inside.

Tails instantly burst out in possibilities. "Well, we could have Knuckles bash it down, Torque pick the lock, me use my tools to remove it-"

BOOM!"

"-or have Jerry blow it up…"

"What can I say? I'm the bomb! Heh heh heh…"

Luigi shook his head (he was going to say that!) and led his gang into the tower. Everyone was cautious upon entering…

…and once they did enter…

…they saw it was a_ lot_ bigger on the inside.

"You think there's a Conveniently Placed Map for this place?"

"Probably not…"

The current room itself seemed awfully familiar, though at the same time strikingly different. But what was true either way was the fact that there was no apparent way to get to the next floor.

"How peculiar is that?" Tails questioned, beginning to poke around the walls.

"I dunno, but what's even more peculiar to me is the feeling that I've seen this kind of room before…" Malon trailed.

"Oh good, I thought it was just me," Luigi sighed in relief.

"I certainly don't recognize it," Knuckles stated bluntly.

"Neither does Screamy!" the spirit piped up instantly afterwards.

"If ya ask me it looks like one of the rooms in Rumblebump Volcano!" Blooey exclaimed. Luigi and Malon exchanged glances and pulled out the first Conveniently Placed Map. Oddly enough, the first floor's three rooms combined looked just like the one in the tower, plus the second floor's room were placed just like they would be if in a tower…

"Hey Malon…" Tails trailed, starting to see something in the map. "Let me see the map you got from Plumpbelly Village!"

"Actually I have it," Luigi said, pulling it out from his pocket. "Malon went and got herself kidnapped on that one…"

"If you weren't so _distracted_ by _Strudel-"_

"I said no to marrying the girl, what more do you want?"

"Anyway," Tails cut in, snagging the map. He placed both maps on the floor, putting the one from Plumpbelly above the Rumblebump one. Just like that, it revealed that the third floor had a maze, while the fourth was supposedly the DDR.

"Whoa…" Knuckles trailed.

"You think this was probably done on purpose?" Meta Knight questioned. "No wonder they were Conveniently Placed…"

"Only one way to find out!" Tails exclaimed, pulling out the map from Circuit Break Island. He put it on top of the Plumpbelly one, figuring out Floor 5 had something to do with a hotel.

"It's like a map of Hatesong Tower, only torn into pieces!" Torque gaped.

"Exactly…" Tails trailed, figuring that's what had happened. "But I want to know why the places the compass pieces were hidden in modeled after this place…"

"I don't know…" Meta Knight replied, placing Jazzafrazz's map down, showing Floor 6. "I think it was planned."

"Hey, the tower only has 8 Floors?" Knuckles asked after adding Grimble Forest's map. Floor's 7 and 8 were based of the path and the confusing rooms, though something about them seemed off…

"No, look!" Luigi showed that the top part of Grimble Forest's map was torn. "I'm guessing there was more to the map somewhere…"

"But whoever set this up either didn't need the rest of the map or-" Malon started.

"-they wanted to keep the rest of a tower a secret," finished Tails.

Knuckles shrugged. "Maybe they didn't think anyone would get past the 8th Floor or something…"

"Either way it certainly doesn't assure me…" Hayzee trailed. "Still, it is intriguing…"

"Sitting here isn't going to do us much good either! " Meta Knight announced. "Now, if I'm reading the map correctly, I'm thinking that on this floor-"

"AW NO THE LIGHT AGAIN!" Blooey wailed, hitting the floor as soon as the blazing light turned itself on. Once again, Luigi slipped on a pair of shades.

"I'm still good!"

"Argh, what kind of a trap IS this? It's worse than walking around aimlessly in the dark!" complained Torque, tripping over Jerry.

"One that I recalled before being burned to a-OW! Who stepped on me?"

"Sorry Blooey…"

"Should've known it was Knuckles…"

"Shouldn't there be some sort of switch to turn the trap off anyway?" Malon asked, staying close to the wall.

"I don't think it's as easy as last time…" Luigi trailed. "Erm, would it?"

"Everyone, feel around for some sort of button!"

Everyone awkwardly crawled to the walls then started to feel around. Torque and Jerry bumped into each other countless times, Screamy wouldn't move away from Knuckles no matter what, and it finally took Tails to accidentally to brush his fingers against an odd part in the wall to hit the switch.

"I did it!" he cried, the lights toning down instantly. Also instantly, everyone was suddenly blown into the north wall by a fan that suddenly popped out of the south one.

"Aw no the wind trap…" groaned Malon.

"How did you guys manage to survive this place?" Knuckles asked.

"Hope, luck, faith, and a miracle," grumbled Luigi, Malon, and Blooey.

"New question- how do we get out of this one?" Hayzee question. "This place is beyond any special effects I've ever worked with!"

While Luigi attempted a face palm, Malon explained that they used Blooey to hit the switch.

"The only switch in the room is the one I just hit…" contemplated Tails. "I wonder what would happen if we hit it again?"

"Only one way to find out!" Malon called, grabbing Blooey and attempting to throw him again. This time around, the walls were much farther apart, and Malon's arm wasn't quite strong enough to overcome this wind in the first place. Blooey went flying a measly two feet before screaming and being blown right back into Malon.

"OW!"

"It's not my fault!"

"Well, that's just great…I can't even use Blooey!"

"You want me to try?" Knuckles asked from the opposite side of the wall.

"What if you throw Blooey too hard, make him collide with the wall, and make him suffer brain damage?" Malon snapped back. Everyone was completely appalled at the proposition.

"It was just a suggestion..."

"…Blooey is not looking forward to brain damage…"

"I think the lava did enough…"

"Heard that!"

"Hooray! Blooey talks just like Screamy! Screamy is no more alone!"

"Gah!"

"Well, if you take into consideration the velocity that the wind is blowing at us, that's bound to ease up the impact that Blooey should hit the wall if Knuckles throws him, so there's really no life-threatening danger. Plus, if Knuckles gets his precision just right, he should hit the switch, causing the fan to shut off instantly and make Blooey fall to the floor before he can suffer any sort of damage," Tails explained.

"…"

"You're like our team's Kirby!"

Tails blinked. "Kirby is smart?"

"He has random moments when his IQ spikes, I suppose…but not to such a number as yours, Tails," Meta Knight explained. "He just has a tendency to figure out what to do next."

"Well if me chucking Blooey at a wall is what we need to do, then so be it!" exclaimed Knuckles. "Pass him down!"

Malon gave Blooey to Hayzee who gave him to Luigi who gave him to Meta Knight who gave him to Jerry who almost dropped Blooey ("Do I look like an item or something? !") who was saved by Meta Knight who then gave Blooey to Tails instead who gave him to Torque who also almost dropped Blooey if it wasn't for Screamy who possessed Blooey again, floated back up, and landed him in Knuckles' possession.

"…well that certainly took awhile."

"It doesn't help Hayzee's the only partner with arms!" cried Jerry.

"Not to mention that was a HUGE run-on…"

"Anyway…"

Knuckles grabbed Blooey, then did the best he could to throw him towards the switch against the wind. Blooey let out a battle cry once he was tossed, doing his best to continue to soar through the air. He just barely brushed against the switch, but still managed to push it in just enough to shut off the fan. Everyone fell into a pile on the floor while Blooey just fell flat out of midair.

"Ow…again…that was interesting."

"And there's still no way out of this room, is there?" huffed Torque.

"Maybe we could blow a hole in the ceiling!" Jerry suggested.

"That's a bad idea for several reasons…"

"Ignore my idea then!"

"Hey Luigi, what was the trap after the wind one?" Malon asked.

"Wasn't it the one with all the-"

"MONSTERS!"

Luigi sweat dropped. "Oh yeah…"

Enemies fell out of a hatch in the ceiling and practically rained down onto the heroes! Knuckles and Meta Knight teamed up to beat up a round of foes while Screamy and Jerry helped out too.

"The switch!" Malon cried, already running for the button the wall a third time. When she was almost there, however, a huge…chicken fell from nowhere?

"Hey it's a Cucco!" she called happily.

"I'm pretty sure that's a chicken…" Luigi trailed while sweat dropping.

"It's looks more like a huge Tookey to me," mused Meta Knight. Luigi whirled around and gave him a look.

"Dude, it's a _chicken_!"

"It's a Cucco!" Malon protested.

"Ahem, Tookey!" threw in Meta Knight.

"Guys!" Tails cried. "You're all wrong- it's a Chirps!"

Everyone stared at Tails in silence until Knuckles said, "Really? I always thought it was a Cucky…"

"For the love of the stars _it's a chicken!"_ Luigi cried.

"No, it's a Bawk-Bawk that's trying to eat me!" Blooey wailed, running away from the bird's snapping beak.

"I'm guessing the name is different everywhere…" trailed Hayzee.

"I'm telling you, it's well known as a chicken!" Luigi continued to defend.

"Whatever it is, it's trying to eat the fried calamari!" yelled Blooey, still running around.

Luigi rolled his eyes and shouted, "Magnetic Field!"

A force field suddenly wrapped around Blooey, protecting him from the pecking wrath of the "chicken". Then Hayzee stepped up and sang his lullaby, putting the "chicken" to sleep.

"Night night!" he said sweetly.

"Okay, it's asleep, meaning we have a few turns to land some blows!" Malon exclaimed, shooting a few arrows at the bird. "Does anyone know how much HP the Cucco has?"

"No, actually…but I'm assuming from the size that this Chirps has a lot," Tails deduced while Blooey performed Blooper Blitz. The "chicken" was still sleeping, rendering it still unable to attack. Still, it was amazing as to how it wasn't able to wake up after receiving such blows…including a wrench to the head.

"Take that!" Tails cried, doing said action. "Go for it Torque!"

Torque used his Tool Box move, taking out a power drill and using it against the "chicken". After that attack, the "chicken" finally woke up with a heart-stopping "BA-GAWK!"

Tails and Torque exchanged looks before yelped and running away from the rampaging bird-monster.

"Ow! Ow! It's pecking my ear!" Tails cried, resorting to flying up out of beak's reach. "Help!"

"I've got the Tookey!" Meta Knight announced, soaring upwards before slashing mercilessly into the beast.

"We'll be having Kentucky Fried Cucco tonight!" Malon laughed. Luigi shook his head.

"See, it doesn't have the same ring as Kentucky fried chicken…"

"Kentucky fried Chirps?"

"Kentucky fried Tookey?"

"Can we stop?"

"Sorry."

"Your turn, Jerry!" Meta Knight stated, pulling back into the shadows as his partner gave an all-too-eager nod and blew up in a huge explosion, literally frying the chicken with the blast.

"Hooray! Now I'm not the only animal to be deep fried!" cheered Blooey.

"BAW-GAWK!"

It leaned down, grabbed a slight shaken Jerry's fuse, then tossed him into the nearest wall. Everyone cringed, hearing Jerry groan when he fell to the floor.

"I'm fine!"

"Is this thing dead yet?" complained Tails, rubbing his ear.

"We'll beat up when we beat it!" Knuckles shouted back, taking out his Shovel Claws and yelling, "Deep Impact!"

It was safe to say that he did make huge impact on the chicken, rendering it awfully weak. Knuckles returned to his spot and gave Screamy a thumbs up.

"Finish 'em off, Screams!"

Screamy jumped up and down excitedly. "Screamy will do his best!"

"That's my line…" murmured Tails.

Screamy sucked in a deep breath, then when he couldn't holding it anymore, let it all out in one ear-splitting scream.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE_YYYAAAHHIIIIIII_!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" yelled Torque, pulling into his rumbling shell.

"Argh I hate that move!" screamed Tails, covering his ears that were already pressed super-tightly toward his head.

"How is he even able to do that?" Jerry asked calmly.

"How are you able to withstand- never mind…" Malon sighed.

While Team Luigi was suffering somewhat damage, the chicken nearly spontaneously combusted from the power and the force of the scream. Going simply bonkers, the chicken-monster ran around, laying an egg or two, until it couldn't take it and fell over defeated. Malon ran over and hit the switch a third time, making any lingering enemies that they didn't bother with disappear and the stairway to the second floor to appear. Everyone eyes the two large eggs sitting on the ground, then quickly rushed up the stairs.

"Woo man…and that was just the _first_ floor!" gasped Luigi, panting for breath.

"And we still don't know what lies ahead on Floors 9 and above!" wheezed Knuckles. "Hoo, that Cucky sure seemed like a handful…"

Luigi glanced at Knuckles. "We. Are. Sticking. With. Chicken."

"Hey, take it easy Thunder…"

"Well, what's up next?" Screamy asked, trying to see over Malon's shoulder and get a glimpse of the map. Malon held it low enough for him to see before she started explaining.

"Well, that was just the first half of the volcano. There was a second part, you know…and I should recall better than anyone else what they were."

"Enlighten us- whatever will we be facing on this second floor?" Knuckles asked.

"Well first it's going to go dark-"

They were suddenly enveloped in infinite darkness.

"Oh great- the power went out!"

"Does this place even have electricity?"

"Looks the switch in this place is also a light switch! Heh heh…"

"That was terrible, Luigi."

"I'm just trying to brighten things up!"

"…"

"…okay that one was unintended…"

"Well? Start searching!"

"Hold on…" Knuckles trailed, pulling out the Master Emerald. He whispered a small chant, causing the Emerald to glow bright. Once the room was filled with some light, Knuckles instantly cringed.

"No one move…"

Everyone who was getting ready to move froze in midstep, no one, however, daring to glance down.

"Okay, everyone. Let's all just slowly advance toward the walls…watching our steps…"

"Erm, Knuckles? What's on the floor…" Tails asked cautiously.

"No. One. Panic. They're _just_ spiders-"

"AUUUUUUGGGGHHH SPIDERS? AAAIIIII!"

Malon instantly went hysterical, going even more mad when she felt something squash under her boots. Jerry flung towards the wall in one impressive jump, Hayzee made plans to write a play called "Spiders in a Room", Luigi cringed and started dancing around, Tails was perfectly fine until one landed on his head, and Meta knight was stabbing with no mercy at the ground with his sword.

"I see the universal word for "spider" is "spider", however…" grumbled Knuckles.

"Actually, they're called "Skulltulas" in my world and some are absolutely huge!" Malon shrieked. "They can be even bigger than Link and it's horrifying!"

"In this world, they tend to be called Scuttlers…" Luigi comment, now completely ignoring the arachnids crawling up his overalls. "But then there are Piders and Arantulas…"

"And still, they all classify as "spider"…" Knuckles grumbled again.

"Get them off! Get them off! UGH!" whined Malon, spinning around like mad.

"There's one on my head and I can't even see it! Yikes!" Tails cried.

"How did we miss them when we first came to the second floor?" asked Jerry, not phased at all once again. Hey, he was a bomb.

"They probably weren't released until the trap was activated," Meta Knight stated, being the only one to be trying to hunt down the switch. Malon collided into Knuckles couple times, Tails tripped over Screamy (how was THAT possible?), and Blooey fell into a pile of spiders and started screaming like a girl. Luigi suddenly started twitching- there were spiders in his pants!"

"Gah! Spiders! Spiders!"

Meta Knight just shook his head as he felt along the wall. "How disappointing…you could help me, you know, Knuckles…"

Knuckles, who had been randomly standing in the middle of the room, shook off his trance and lit up the Master Emerald again.

"Yeah, sure! I got…distracted…"

Knuckles focused his energy into the gem to widen the radius it shone, making it tons easier for Meta Knight to locate the switch, which removed the darkness and magically killed all spiders. Luigi heaved a sigh of relief while Malon was acting like she just met face to face with Death.

"Thank the goddesses that's over…" she huffed.

"Yeah, but what's next?" asked Hayzee.

"Screamy is kinda scared…very much so."

Suddenly, a wall of fire shot down from the ceiling, blocking off the button as the room itself started to fill up with water. Tails saw the puddle start to build up at his feet and grinned skeptically.

"I say we're about to be flooded in…good thing Sonic isn't here!"

"And not to point out the obvious, but we certainly can't hit button thanks to the fire wall…" Meta Knight trailed, rubbing his hand that had nearly been burned.

"The fire can be dosed out…but not completely until the water hits the ceiling."

"So, what? Do we wait for the earliest moment after being completely submerged to hit the button?" Knuckles asked.

"I'd say we wait until the button is submerged under the water so the fire won't be able to block it," Luigi commented.

"Yeah, it's already up to my eyes and it's not even halfway to the button yet!" called Blooey. "Though it doesn't matter to me considering I can breath underwater…"

"What about me?" complained Meta Knight, water already covering his head. Knuckles grabbed him and pulled him out.

"Can you swim?"

"Not when the water is the same height as me, thank you very much…"

"I was just asking!"

The water slowly grew up to Tails' knees, then to his waist, then to Malon's. The water still wasn't anywhere near the button, but it had start to douse the lowest flames. When it reached Luigi's chest, it was just over Tails' head.

"Whoa-"

"Tails, you okay?"

Tails, doing his best to tread, resurfaced like a bobber and nodded to Luigi.

"I'm fine! I'm a great swimmer!"

"Can't say the same about Meta Knight…" muttered Knuckles, now holding said teammate above his head. Meta Knight sat perched in Knuckles' palm, sweat dropping and saying nothing. Blooey, meanwhile, was happily swimming with Jerry on his back, Torque was swimming quite decently also. Hayzee was being held up by Luigi, and Screamy was standing underwater looking perfectly fine.

"Screamy finds this no big deal."

"Is the switch not blocked by fire anymore?" Malon asked, now that the water was under his chin and everyone in Hyrule knew that it was practically impossible to swim when you had boots on.

"I think it is!" Luigi called, trying to wade his way over. However, the water suddenly made a huge sloshing noise, and the next thing anyone knew, they were caught in a whirlpool.

"Not again!" Malon yelped, instantly being whipped right off her feet. "Quick! Someone hit the button!"

"I…I…I…" Tails trailed, reaching out. He brushed over the button before being swept away by the button. "...I just missed it."

"Someone has to hit it soon!" Hayzee gulped, glancing at the ceiling.

"I've…got it…" Luigi huffed, hardly able to swim over. With one quick "umph", his fist pressed against the button, making all the water seeping into the floor like a drain while the victim were still tossed around whirlpool style, until every last drop of water was gone. Would it be ironic to say that they were flopping around like fishes?

"Well that was weird. What's left because I really want to get out of this room…" grunted Meta Knight.

"The last thing is the-" started Blooey. Malon gulped.

"Earth pillars…"

"Say what?"

A pillar arose in the middle of the floor, making everyone quickly jump back.

Knuckles cringed. "Oh SNAP!"

"These things are unpredictable!" yelled Torque, hopping out of the way like mad.

"We need to hit the button!" Tails stated obviously. "But we were swept to the middle of the room!"

"I've got it!" Knuckles called, charging like a bull toward the switch.

"Knuckles no!" cried Screamy. A pillar shot up in front of Knuckles, but Knuckles punched it in two no problem before digging under the floor, perfectly safe from the pillars. Everyone blinked, then started running madly around trying to dodge the pillars. Jerry got caught on one once, but luckily Meta Knight moved him out of the way. Malon was playing reality changing songs to halt the pillars, but she couldn't halt all of them. Luigi summoned Frozen North several times, but he couldn't hold off the blocks forever plus his CP was running out.

"Let's go, Knuckles!" he cried, trying to freeze another as Tails cart wheeled out of the way.

"Trying!" Knuckles grunted, bashing another pillar out of existence. "These things keep popping up and getting in my way!"

"Well you've gotta hurry before someone gets hurt!" Meta Knight said in a low voice, placing Jerry off to the side only for him to get caught by a pillar again. Knuckles angrily slammed through another, leaving a mean looking hole.

"It's not my fault!"

"I thought you were underground-"

"Obviously can't stay there forever!"

Knuckles finally made it to the switch and slammed his fist on the button. Blooey, Tails, and Luigi, who all three were on pillars getting ready to slam in the ceiling, went flying into the floor once the pillars retracted.

"This place is painful either way…"

Suddenly, one of the walls started to rumble, parting itself to show where the next staircase was hidden.

"Okay, Floor 3..." Luigi gulped. "Woo."

"It's only the maze next! Remember? We breezed right through it!" Jerry cheered.

"Didn't we have Watch Walls in that maze?" Blooey asked, sweat dropping. "Followed by the DDR!"

"DDR is the fourth floor," Jerry scoffed. "Besides, what are the odds that we'll end up with Watch Walls again? That was only something Hizza thought up!"

"We're going up there regardless- I don't think I can take another trap room!" yelped Tails, already making tracks for the stairs. Everyone took his example and followed after. The next floor mimicked the maze in the ruins almost all too perfectly. The only difference was that it didn't have a ruin-y feel to it…

And an Elite Hissy was prepared to chase them.

"Whoa! Run! Run!" Jerry wailing, already taking off into the maze until Meta Knight grabbed him.

"It's just a Hissy- we were able to take them back before!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Yeah, this should be easy to pummel!" threw in Knuckles pumping his fists.

"I dunno, something about it gives me shivers…" Malon trailed. She looked intently at Hissy, only to be slashed at in return. She jumped back all too quickly, snagged the map from Luigi and yelled, "C'mon!"

The Elite Hissy let out what could only be described as a "metallic roar" which really got everyone moving.

"Oh great, now we're getting chased through a maze!"

"Screamy does not mind. Screamy finds it fun!"

"Shush Screamy!"

"Hey! Don't yell at Screams like that!"

"Fine, shush Knuckles!"

Knuckles grumbled something under his breath.

"Quick! Go right! Go right!" Malon exclaimed at the first intersection. Everyone nearly skidded around the corner as the Hissy chucked a blade-boomerang at their heads.

"Duck! Duck!"

"This is so violent!"

Everyone ducked at the last possible second, the monster chasing then grunting and snarling loudly as his blade was returned to him. He then threw a bomb, which blasted Meta Knight, Hayzee, and Tails over the rest of the group. They landed in a pile, causing the other to trip over them and for the Hissy to catch up.

"Quick! Head toward the down path!" Malon cried.

"Wouldn't that be "right" for us?"

"We were lead through this adventure by a compass. "Down" mean we take the south path, which may be currently "right" for us, but who care because we're about to get stabbed!"

"Wha!"

The Hissy brought and knife-looking weapon down into the floor, Tails and Luigi effectively rolling out of the way and into safety. The knife got stuck in the floor, giving anyone lagging behind another head start.

"Holy, holy, that snake is out for blood!" Tails squealed, quickly spinning his tails to get away even faster.

"What's the next direction?" Meta Knight asked, gliding steadily next to Malon.

"Right, then down, then left…"

"We'd better pick up the pace…" Torque huffed, looking over his shoulder and seeing their stalker gaining on them. Everyone let out a scream and took off for the right once they reached the next intersection. The Hissy pulled out some ninja stars and threw those, just barely missing anyone within range. The feeling of air from the ninja star brushing over Luigi's neck was just enough to make him hysterical and nearly plow through everyone.

"Hayzee! Put him to sleep!" Luigi cried, now at the front of the pack and constantly looking back.

"I can't! That is some heavy duty armor and does he even have ears?" Hayzee asked.

"A good dose of people don't even have ears…" murmured Meta Knight.

"I can still try Dayzee Tears!"

"Anything, anything!"

Hayzee stopped running for a moment, then suddenly started bawling. The tears were (somehow) directly aimed at the Hissy. The Hissy recoiled instantly, suddenly falling to the ground and turning purple. Everyone watching quickly stopped and turned around, cringing at the sight.

"Are Dayzee tears really that poisonous?" Tails asked. Hayzee shook his head.

"No. Most times Dayzee Tears are put into drinks! But the only reason they can cause poison is because a few being are deathly allergic, like Hissies!"

"And he's still trying to kill us!" yelled Blooey, swerving away from poison darts now. "This thing won't give up!"

Avoiding more hazardous projectiles and a choking lizard, the group maneuvered through the maze, going down then veering left. Finally daring to look back, they saw the Hissy slowing down and eventually collapsing on the floor. They stopped to celebrate and exchange high fives, until a large boulder came crashing down on the creature and also started rolling after them.

"First a reptile assassin and now an Indiana Jones boulder!" complained Knuckles, started to run again like everyone else.

"Screamy would greatly like to know how much longer until we are out of this maze death trap?"

"Down, right, up, right, down, left…" huffed Luigi, glancing at the map in Malon's possession.

"If we don't die first!" Blooey added. "We are so screwed!"

"It's just a little further!" Malon scoffed. "Besides, it's not like that rock is going to gain speed and we're not going to let it catch us-"

"Um, why is that rock suddenly obtaining rocket boosters?"

Everyone dared to look back- sure enough, the rock had managed to gain two rocket boosters!

And now it was flying straight for them.

"I hate this place! I hate this place!" Torque chanted. As they went down, turrets suddenly popped out of the walls and lasers suddenly targeted them.

It was raining bullets seconds later.

"Hey, how come they're not hitting us?" Tails asked as they ran straight through to the right, not getting hit once.

"The Anti-Laws of Psychics strike again!" Luigi stated.

"I hope the Laws will lack when that boulder crushes us," Meta Knight stated simply.

"The last thing we need to discuss while running for our lives is the Laws of Psychics!"

The rock following them slammed into the walls several times, making the group jump every time a loud thud was heard. Eventually, they made it to end of the maze before the rock did, but like Blooey said, there was a Watch Wall in the way.

"I knew it!" the calamari sobbed, pointing at Jerry.

"Hey, it's only one!"

"What do you need us to do? There's a boulder that's going to smoosh us any second now!' Luigi cried hysterically.

The Wall awoke almost instantly, ending its snoring abruptly.

"Whuzzut? Who's these?"

"People who are literally in the line of death! Now let us by!" Knuckles demanded.

"Yawn…sorry, can't do that. Goes against my morals."

"Don't you have some sort of challenge for us to do?" Jerry asked with a high pitched voice.

"Actually, no."

"That rock is going to kill us!"

"No! I've got an idea!" Luigi suddenly gasped. He got into a firm stance then nudged to his team members. "Okay, everyone stay in place until I tell you to jump, all right? Blooey, Jerry, Torque, Hayzee, and Screamy, get out of the way.

Said partners wasted no time in hiding in the nearest corner, which ;luckily wasn't in the rock's path.

"Why do we have to stand in the way?" Tails asked somewhat shakily.

"Just in case."

"Just in case for-"

"Wait for it…"

The large boulder was charging at the 5 like a high-speed train. A few feet off, Luigi cried "JUMP!" and they all sprung into the air. Malon just barely made it over the rock, the bottom of her boots brushing over it. It went slamming into the Watch Wall, crushing that instantly, then Luigi used his Ultra Boots' move to jump even higher, then strike down on the rock, cracking it. Knuckles glided in afterward to completely punch it into pieces. Tails and Meta Knight slapped a high five (despite not doing anything) and Malon told the partners it was safe to come out now.

"Whew, that was interesting…" Luigi trailed. "I can't believe that worked!"

"Hey, the Watch Wall was blocking the staircase!" Tails pointed out. "Huh, I wonder why it wouldn't give us a challenge or something. That would've been better than forcibly bashing it down…"

"Hey. I got the door open, ya happy?" Knuckles grumbled.

"I guess…"

"I'd like to point out that it was Luigi's grand idea that led us to opening the door!" Malon stated intelligently. Knuckles snickered and walked on by.

"I can reply to that in at least two ways…"

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's just go to the next floor Malon…"

"No wait-"

Knuckles continued to snicker as Luigi and Tails guided Malon to the stairs. Meta Knight and the partners exchanged glances before trotting after.

"So Floor 4 is "DDR", am I correct?" Meta Knight asked. Blooey let out a girlish scream and suddenly fainted.

"Dear Lord, don't let me do it again! PLEASE!"

Malon looked down at her partner then turned to Luigi. "What's he talking about?"

"Jerry and I used him for a DDR challenge one of the Watch Walls had…the pattern for the steps was the same as the directions for the maze."

"Do you really think another DDR is going to be up there?" Jerry asked.

"It's been like that for the first 3 floors…" murmured Luigi.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, they found out it was…empty.

"Well, this is interesting."

"How are we supposed to get out of this one?" Knuckles questioned, poking around.

Meta Knight looked around the room, being the one to take note of things, while everyone else had a debate responding to Knuckles' question. There were some strange marking on the wall… Cocking his head to the best of his ability, Meta Knight headed over to one of the strange panels on the wall and put his hand on it.

It went in, plus there was a marking of an arrow on it.

"Hey, I think I may have found something of true interest…"

Everyone stopped the current discussion- "That why I only used mustard!" "It involved a plunger!" "Those stupid piñatas…"- and turned to Meta Knight gesturing to the odd part in the wall. Looking at the bigger picture, there were three others just like it on the other walls…

"Anyone else get the idea that were supposed to press these?" Tails inquired, observing the blocks but having his eye catching something on the floor.

"If that's true, the next question is figuring out which is what direction…" Torque pondered. Luigi grinned and pulled out his compass-

"You better not use Frozen North or I'll-"

"Eastern Wind?"

A strong gust of wind blew in from the east side of the room, which was where Knuckles was standing and it unfortunately blew him right over.

"Ow…found the right part of the room…"

"I call the north button!" Malon cried, rushing over. Meta Knight was already at the west one, Malon had given the partners the map to read off, while Luigi went to the south button and Tails stayed occupied with the middle.

"Okay, you guys ready?" Jerry asked as Hayzee held the map.

"Screamy is ready! Woo!"

"I wasn't talking to you Screamy…"

"Screamy is sorry."

Luigi, Meta Knight, Malon, and Knuckles after staggering to stand up each gave a thumbs up. Tails was still contemplating the odd design in the middle of the floor.

"This has to do with something…"

"Okay! First arrow to hit is the up arrow!"

Malon punched it instantly, causing the corresponding design on the floor Tails was observing to light up. Tails stood up and tapped his foot on it- a "bing" noise rang out.

"…cool."

"Right!" Blooey bark. Knuckles thrust his palm onto that one- Tails tapped his foot on the same design. The designs were arranged in the same pattern as a DDR pad, tails quickly realized. Man, no one had any originality in creating this tower…

"Down!" called Screamy. Luigi hit it, Tails stepped.

"Right!" announced Torque. Knuckles hit his block again, and Tails tapped.

"Down!" "Left!" "Down!" "Right!" "Up!" "Right!" "Down!" "Left!"

Luigi, Meta Knight, Luigi, Knuckles, Malon, Knuckles, Luigi, and Meta Knight responded in that order.

Tails danced in that order. When he finished, the center of the arrows was flashing, so he quickly pressed it. Now extremely exhausted from his quick dancing, Tails could barely stand up as one of the walls opened to reveal the next set of stairs.

"Hey! We did it!"

"Sorry there wasn't a fifth arrow, Tails," Malon said, patting her friend's head. Tails was going to reply, but then mumbled something and kept his mouth shut.

"Alright, what tiring, puzzling, destined to get us killed escapade is next?" asked blooey.

"Um, a Frog Hut?"

"Which is called a Toad House in the Mushroom Kingdom," Luigi pointed out.

"A rest? What are waiting for!" Tails exclaimed, his energy suddenly spiking as he took off. By the time everyone else caught up with him he was already curled up comfortably on the floor napping…despite there being 5 well-refurbished beds.

"Ah, a break…it was just the first 5 levels and I'm wiped out!" groaned Knuckles.

"This will be a good pit stop," Luigi grinned, sitting on the bed. "I bet it's the nicest place in the entire tower!"

Meta Knight stood staring out the window, map held out in front of him.

"Still…it makes you think of what's above the 8th Floor…"

"I don't want to think of it. I'm napping." Tails said drowsily.

"What is in store for us, however?" Malon wondered quietly before getting ready to charge up her HP and FP also. Luigi pulled the Marvelous Compass out of his pocket, stared into it, and said:

"I don't have the slightest clue…"


	46. Can it Get Worse?

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 45: Can It Get Worse?

Luigi was particularly conflicted. He had no reason to be, so why was he?

Eh, scratch that. He could think of a couple. First, they were resting in a tower with the wind sounding like a hate song outside, which certainly didn't calm the nerves. What challenges would await them in the upper floors? What if something awful happened…

Luigi shook his head. Ugh. That was a terrible thing to think about.

What was bugging him slightly more than possible death in the tower was the fact of being separated from his friends. Knuckles had preached that it wouldn't come true, but it seemed pretty real to Luigi. It didn't even matter why Team Mario had plans to split- they were just going to.

The partners, as much as he hated to admit, he'd miss them. Despite the fact 3 out of 5 of them had a vendetta against Luigi, at least they sort of had his back- but that was just because they were following orders from their Soul Partners.

Luigi continued to fumble with the compass, glancing over at Meta Knight taking a short nap in his odd way. Luigi gave a small smile. Meta Knight, for whatever reason, was completely loyal to Luigi. Luigi knew very well that Meta Knight most certainly wasn't the friendliest guy around, and yet the swordsman seemed to very attached to Luigi's gang. Whatever the reason behind that was, Luigi sure was grateful he had a strong ally that actually wanted to be with him.

He then turned to Knuckles, staring so intently at the Master Emerald that he wasn't really paying attention to anything else. Luigi felt that Knuckles was only with them to be part of a team, despite being so independent. Perhaps after his experience with Team Sonic, he just wanted to be apart of something like that. However, he seemed genuinely upset at the thought of possibly being kicked off the team. Luigi shrugged- neither Knuckles nor Meta Knight were an open book. Whatever reasons they had were their own.

Tails made a light stirring noise in his unbelievably deep sleep (Luigi had tripped over him and he still didn't wake) making Luigi chuckle a little. He could safely say that Tails was his best friend. They were both similar in many ways, yet in situations where one was confident, the other would need a pep talk. Luigi admired Tails for his incredible ability to stand up to evil and somehow keep a straight face, and his smarts, but Tails admired Luigi just because he was…Luigi. Luigi was impressed by that also.

"Oh man," Luigi mumbled, speaking for the first time in over an hour and disrupting his train of thoughts. "How am I going to break the news to _her?"_

How was he going to tell Malon about the possibility of the team splitting? She knew how sensitive she was, and the last thing Luigi wanted to was to make her cry. That was problem number one that was bugging him- how would Malon react? Of course, he wasn't going to tell her until this whole mess was out of the way, but the working up to it was always the worst part.

He shook it off- he couldn't let it sidetrack him either.

"All right you guys, we deserved this rest, but still have a nice long trek of tower to get though!"

Now Tails woke up instantly, ears perking up at the sound.

"Time to go? Okay!"

As Luigi looked on, everyone else began to stir also. However, Meta Knight had to walk over to Knuckles and snap his fingers to break him out of the Master Emerald's trance.

"Whut? Oh, sorry…"

"You easily get lost in that thing don't you-"

"I've guarded this thing my entire life, what do you expect?"

"All right, before we get into something here, I say we get going." Malon announced, Luigi handling the map.

"And…I have no idea what the next floor is considering that was the Jazzafrazz Town, which didn't really help us get the Compass Piece there at all…"

"Well it obvious must be something top secret and threatening then!" Blooey exclaimed, charging head on into the next room. Everyone barely had themselves composed for the sudden up-and-heading off, and the last thing anyone wanted to do was chase after a hyper-active squid through a tower built on death. It was too early for that.

Of course, if Blooey wanted to run ahead to get eaten by a beast or something he was certainly welcome to-

"AUGH SWEET MORNING GLORIES!"

"Blooey!" Malon yelped, now just as fully awake and alive as everyone else as they made a mad dash up the stairs. "Blooey, are you all right?"

"I…I…I-"

"What-" Malon reached the next floor in a speed that Sonic would give a thumbs up to, only to freeze upon sight. Blooey slowly turned to his soul partner.

"I'm in _heaven_!"

Tails was the next to arrive on the scene and nearly exploded at what he saw.

"CHOCOLATE!"

"What in this world…" Luigi trailed upon sight of the chocolate only room, Tails diving toward the wall and trying to gnaw it.

"Everything is chocolate in this room! Maybe if we eat it, we'll find the stairs-NOM!"

"Get a grip, Tails!" Knuckles grunted, pulling Tails away. "I know you're a kid at heart, but you don't need to go chewing down walls!"

"Sorry…but MAN it's tasty!"

Meta Knight poked and squinted at the wall suspiciously. "This is not the challenge I was expecting…"

"Maybe we could somehow melt all the chocolate-" Jerry started to suggest.

"I'd rather eat it," Tails said simply, swinging out of Knuckles' grasp and breaking off another piece of the chocolate wall.

"We can't just eat the entire room, you know," Malon huffed. "If what you say is true, then the stairs will be behind only one part of the wall, not the entire thing-Luigi stop eating that windowsill!"

"Sorry! It was dark chocolate…"

Meta Knight smacked his head while Jerry jumped up and down repeatedly.

"Has no one listened to my idea?"

"At this rate I'd rather thrash an Egg Carrier any day…" Knuckles murmured before slamming the side of his fist into the wall, making the whole room shake and the chocolate covering on the walls to shatter. Tails dove into the pile of chocolate and scooped up as much as he could as if the sky had just rained candy bars.

Everyone just looked on.

"…do you think it's best if we don't question this?"

"Yes, yes I do…" Knuckles replied to Luigi, once again grabbing Tails and carrying him up the now revealed stairs.

"Don't worry Tails, as soon as we get out of here we'll buy you some juice!" Malon assured, following Knuckles while sweat dropping. She motioned for Blooey, who also had his mouth stuffed with the delicacy. Screamy, Torque and Hayzee exchanged glances.

"Screamy does not like chocolate. Chocolate seems highly weird and strange."

**Floor 7-**

"All right! Now we're back to something interesting and dangerous!" Torque rejoiced once they were on the next floor. Tails was now out of Knuckles' tight hold and stood off to the side, arms folded.

"Hmph. I liked the last room better…but I'm good now. So, what's supposed to be in this room?"

"Well, this is the room based off the map that Knuckles stole-"

"I did not intend to steal it! I borrowed it to help assist you!"

"Yeah, then got into a throw down with Meta Knight. So shush."

"Basically this is probably going to be another maze room," Luigi conformed, taking charge once again. The room was visually larger than the rooms before, seeming almost as vast as the forest they chased Knuckles in. Luigi calmly started walking north through the first hall of that floor, prompting the others to follow as well.

"Does something feel off about this room to you?" Malon asked, having a wave of insecurity wash over her. Luigi waved it off.

"What would be off about it?"

"I dunno…something just is."

"That's descriptive-"

"Quiet Knuckles! Can't you sense something odd?"

Knuckles looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging. "The only odd thing I sense is-"

"Screamy!"

"_Screamy_! I was going to say Malon! You ruined my dissing opportunity!"

"What is this 'diss' you speak of?"

Malon smirked. "I like your Soul Partner Knuckles-"

Knuckles sweat dropped while grumbling several things in incoherent languages. When they came to the first intersection, Luigi instructed everyone to go west, just like they had before. All was well, until-

"A dead end? Are you kidding me!"

They were face to face with a brick wall, mocking them with all its brick glory.

"That isn't right…we went west, right? We were going north…" Luigi was scrambling for an answer to this, even flipping the map around to see if anything was out of place. Meanwhile, Tails had picked up an odd sound and looked up while everyone else debated about the map's apparent incorrect direction.

"-and then there's a wall. So what the heck?"

"I don't know- Luigi! Look out!" Meta Knight suddenly exclaimed, putting a grip on his sword and charging upwards. Luigi yelped and turned around to see one of the most horrifying creatures he'd ever seen in his entire life preparing to fall on him, fangs bared and hissing like an enraged cat.

At least, until Tails came out of nowhere and struck it in the head with his wrench, sending it flying into a wall.

"What _is_** that**?" Luigi questioned, positively appalled as everyone shifted to the opposite wall.

"…it's a corrupted Luff spirit," Screamy said. "Screamy wonders what he is doing here. We are far from the ruins of the Luff Empire."

"What does that mean?" Hayzee asked.

"Must be one of the Luffs that were highly effected by the curse…like Screamy!"

Meta Knight let out a battle cry as he struck the somewhat solid paranormal creature, looking far from the standard Luff. Corrupted definitely was the correct word to describe it.

"I just…I heard it!" Tails exclaimed, flying a slim distance off the ground in case he needed to fly over again. "I don't think you guys did, so I-I took action and then it made this really high-pitched noise that hurt my ears and I swung…cuz it was gonna get you, Luigi."

Luigi's eyes were bugging out as Meta Knight took care of business in the background. "Why me?"

"Well you are THE Child of Fate," Screamy said, wishing he had the arms to shrug. "Perhaps…no, it is too bizarre for even Screamy to put out. Things may be fine."

"I think I took care of it…" Meta Knight panted, staring at the Luff specter on the ground. It suddenly dissolved into a wispy cloud-like form and disappeared.

"That was certainly odd…" Knuckles gulped, shivering.

"I told you…"

"Well, that just tells us we must have went the wrong way…" Tails deduced.

"But…then that means the map is a lie!" Luigi wailed. "Uh…what do we do now?"

"Whaddya askin' us for? You're the leader, remember?" Torque put out. "Of course, I'd gladly take over the role-"

"I'm sure I'd be a more likely candidate-" Blooey interrupted.

"He'd pick ME first!" exclaimed Jerry.

"After all that griping you had over being scarred?"

"You're not one to talk, Mr. Deep Fried!"

"Take that back, you know I'm sensitive on this issue!"

"So's your skin."

"Grah-"

"I wouldn't make any of you leader- you all hate me!" Luigi snapped, ending the discussion instantly. "I don't even know how I landed in this position…"

"It kinda started when you went on an adventure and eventually picked up a couple friends along the way," Malon stated while beaming. "I like being part of your team. I don't think I've had so much fun and excitement in my life!"

Luigi, Tails, Meta Knight and Knuckles all gave each other obviously fake grins.

"What're the odds she said that while we're at a dead end?" Knuckles asked through a strained smile, receiving a punch from Meta Knight and Tails instinctively tackling him. Malon cocked her head.

"What's he mean by that?"

"Oh, you know Knuckles….just being the usual knucklehead!" Meta Knight chuckled nervously. Knuckles did a double take.

"Say WHAT-"

"You know…I think I may have this particular map found out!" Tails cried, breaking the awkward moment almost instantly. "It's backward! If my calculations of deciphering such a clue are correct, the order should be…north, east, north, north, west, north. So we needed to go east instead of west…"

"That explains few things…" Luigi stated, eyeing the upper corner of the dead end and shivering.

"Backtrack time!" Screamy exclaimed, dancing around Knuckles.

"I must ask…how did you figure that out, Tails?" Meta Knight wondered, now walking next to the fox. Tails just shrugged.

"Well, all I had to was just- Erm, on second thought perhaps it was just a lucky educated guess."

Meta Knight stared oddly at Tails, who was glancing at Knuckles, who had on a look that said he didn't want to hear anything he couldn't comprehend. Luigi, taking Tails' suggestion as the most likely thing to do, turned around and headed back to the first intersection. This time, they were east, and actually didn't hit a dead end!

"Good thinking, Tails!" Luigi said with a smile. Tails just grinned nervously and shrugged.

"Heh heh, I honestly have no idea how I did it…"

"What I like to know is why everything died down slightly as I was complimenting Luigi," Malon stated simply, now nearly making said plumber trip over his feet.

"W-what are you talking about?" he stammered. Malon shrugged and took the map, feeling that Luigi was bound to drop it.

"I was just wondering why it was so odd to talk about how great of a team we have!"

"It's not odd!" Luigi protested in a high pitched voice. "I-I'm just not used to so much…praise."

"Well then we'll give you more!" Tails laughed, leaping next to Luigi's side. "You're the coolest! I could go on and on and on and on and-"

"Tails!"

"Whoops sorry. But your awesomeness has infinite limits," Tails finished off abruptly.

Luigi gave an amused chuckle and ruffled Tails' fur. "Thanks kiddo. That actually means a lot."

Tails beamed. Luigi turned to Meta Knight and Knuckles, who were both trying to get a good look at the complex map to see when the next intersection was.

"Are you two going to go on about how great I am?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes while Meta Knight expression stared straight on- not that anyone would notice if it changed.

"I have already announced that I think the world of you," Meta Knight said in a deep tone, nearly forcing the friendly concept of the statement to become nonexistent. "…but IF it's needed to be restated then I'd be much obliged to assist. Though you already know."

"Yeah, you're cool Thunder," Knuckles stated simply, not going into much detail beyond that.

"Still, that means a lot, coming from you two. So anyway…" Luigi snagged the map back from Malon as they turned north. "Let's get moving! The faster we get out of here the faster we can save Éclair!"

"Didn't we say that already-"

"Maybe, maybe not. But this floor is boring now."

"We're getting closer to the 8th floor, and then after that we'll have to go it without the help of the map…" Tails said, slowly getting quieter as he trailed off.

"We'll be okay. No worries…" Luigi assured.

"You're only saying that to assure yourself."

"Heck yes- TORQUE!"

"Heh heh, sorry."

Luigi twitched and tried to press onward. They pressed northwards for quite a while, eventually went west, and then north again. The only sounds that could be heard was the echoing of their footsteps and the drip-drip of water seeping into the tower from the abundant rain.

It was enough to unnerve anyone.

Or just Luigi.

"Oh man…oh man…"

"We're almost to end, Luigi," Malon comforted, sort of guiding Luigi through the final path.

"That's probably what I'm most afraid of!"

"Won't the next floor be the trick rooms, like in the ruins?"

"Screamy will be able to help no problem then!"

The talk of their next destination was interrupted by Tails suddenly grabbing his ears and stomping his foot madly, followed by Meta Knight swooping into the air and vanishing into a golden tornado. Everyone else huddled together for protection as white forms flew about.

"There's more of these Luff things?" Knuckles complained.

"Don't let them eat me!" Luigi yelped, shakily getting a grip on the compass. "DOWN SOUTH!"

Right before four of the creatures went in to attack a highly vulnerable Tails, their HP instantly dropped, the spirits dropping to the floor along with it. At last, Tails stopped madly stomping the ground and took his hands off his ears.

"My hearing is going to be the death of me," Tails grumbled, turning to Luigi. "Thanks for that."

"Just returning the favor. Now c'mon guys- they seem to enjoy this floor and the exit is over there!"

Luigi sprinted toward the next stairway, everyone following in fear of being left behind.

"Those things…I wish I knew why they seem so angry…" Malon whispered.

"Probably because they're after whoever did that to them," Meta Knight suggested.

"There's no way to know for sure," finished Knuckles.

**Floor 8-**

"Hey Tails, you think the rooms are backward like the path on the last floor?"

"Maybe…I'd say it's highly probable."

"But if you're wrong and we fall dramatically to our deaths or something-"

"Jerry! I expected something like that from Blooey, but you?"

"HEY!" "Sorry…nervous. …wah."

The first area of the 8th floor resembled Cranberry's chamber, except being nearly pure black instead of pure white. It was even more unsettling than before, and at least a pure white room you could see…

"Knuckles? A little light?"

"Okay, let's get one thing straight- the Master Emerald is not our little lamp or anything. It's a jewel that is very powerful. If you think I'm just turn it on like a light switch-"

"Dude, we're in a room that's impossible to see in."

"…all we need to do is calmly walk to the other side!"

"And if there's something in that impeding darkness…?"

"We beat the heck out of it?"

"What a solution-"

"Shut up!"

"Well…" Luigi began. "At least stay close to each other-"

The partners instantly felt around for each other, except Screamy who clung to Knuckles, and Tails and Malon nearly knocked Luigi over.

"…not quite what I meant. How's about we make sort of a chain?"

Luigi grabbed Tails' wrist to demonstrate, followed by Malon taking Luigi's wrist and then Blooey, Jerry, Meta Knight, Hayzee, Torque, Screamy, and Knuckles following in a similar fashion.

"…we should've done this in Grimble Forest, not a dark room."

"Well, if one of us finds the other side, then we all should!"

"And by other side, you mean the next room that's just as dark, right?"

"But of course."

Luigi took a deep breath and started walking forward, taking careful steps. It was impossible to tell if there even was anything in the room, and if there was, he certainly wasn't going to be the one to activate it. However, it really did turn out to be a copy of Cranberry's chamber, minus a 1000 living Luff sleeping against the wall. Eventually they found the entry to the next room, which fortunately wasn't as black as the previous room.

"At least there's _some_ light here…what room came before Cranberry's chamber?" Meta Knight asked.

"I don't remember- it's all a blur…" pondered Jerry.

"I don't even think there was anything, except me discovering that hidden room," Knuckles pondered. He then headed to the east side of the room, went to the wall, and tapped it, thinking there may be another hollow opening behind the wall like in the ruins. However, there was just a solid thud, proving that it wasn't purely the same. Satisfied, Knuckles went plowing into the opposite wall, locating the next door.

"Yup, it's still backward here, I take it."

"…I love how you just totally demolished that wall," Malon said while blinking. "I hope the owner of this place doesn't charge us for repairs."

"The owner of this place is evil! We'd have to pay with our lives or something!" gaped Blooey.

"If I remember right the next area had the monster…" Tails stated while entering the hole Knuckles had made.

"We might have to fight a monster in the dark?" squeaked Luigi. "Mama mia…"

"Who even know if they're will be a monster? What if the opposite and there's a cute cloud bunny?" Screamy asked. Everyone, including Knuckles, had to give him a look. "…Screamy say what?"

"I really don't think there's the equivalent of a plush toy down there," Meta Knight murmured.

"Only one way to find out!" Malon cried ecstatically, nearly pushing everyone through. They ended up in a heap on the floor (which also wouldn't be the first time), only to unscramble when a menacing roar pierced through the darkness.

"Aaaah! It's the monster!" wailed Luigi.

"So let's go pummel it into the ground!" Knuckles suggested.

"We don't even know where or what it is!"

"Maybe we can get out of the room without fighting us!" Luigi tried, slightly trembling. "If we can't see it, maybe it can't see us!"

"GROAR!"

"We can certainly hear it-"

"Run!"

Everyone dispersed instantly.

"Fear! A lot of fear! And I'm not acting!" Hayzee yelled, scrambling about. "It would be so much easier if we could SEE!"

"Do you know how much power I would waste just to use the Master Emerald as a nightlight?" Knuckles snapped. "That's out of the question right there!"

"Can't you alter reality, Malon?" Meta knight asked, happening to swoop by her as he could've sworn something had tried to swat him.

"Yes, but I…I don't think I have enough magic to light this up!" Malon sighed. "In a smaller room, yes, maybe, but not one this big…"

"Great. Now we have to run round in a dark room like chickens with their heads cut off!"

"Or Tookies!"

"Or Chirps!"

"Or Cuccos!"

"Or-"

"That was expression!"

"I didn't even get to say mine…"

Whatever was in the room along with the heroes seemed to be stomping around in a fit of rage, thrashing into the walls. Then, a sound that no one probably would've ever expected-

"Bark bark! RAWR!"

Luigi instantly stopped running madly, only to have two of his teammates slam into him.

"What the-"

"Sorry Luigi!" called Tails and Meta Knight.

"Why'd you stop running anyway?" Tails asked.

"We really need some light in here…" Luigi trailed, pondering over the problem. "I want to see if that creature is what I think it is…"

Malon glared at a supposedly Knuckles' direction (which was actually Hayzee) and sighed. "I guess I'll have to supply that then…but I'm not really good with light songs, so we may only have a limited time."

She put the flute to her mouth and played away, literally brightening up the room with her tune. The removal of the darkness revealed the exit not too far away…and an apparently hungry green Chain Chomp chained to the wall.

"Bark bark!"

"Do you think that growling was his stomach or something?" Torque asked. Blooey and Jerry yelped.

"Argh! Don't let it eat me!" they shouted simultaneously, jumping behind Screamy.

"It's probably got its eyes on me, such a crisp, deep friend, juicy, succulent, good looking squid-"

"Blooey!"

"Guys!" Luigi exclaimed, walking over to the Chomp and petting it. "There there, easy…wow, I've never seen one of your kind before!"

Malon cocked her head. "What are you talking about? Haven't you seen Chomps before?"

"Of course…but have you ever seen a vegetarian one?"

Luigi walked over to Knuckles, carefully reached into his spines ("What the heck are you doing?"), and found the Shroom he had dug up in the ruins. Upon sight of the delicacy, the green Chomp went mad, barking and bouncing into a frenzy. Luigi tossed the treat at the Chomp, who snapped it up in one bite and looked incredibly happily. So happy, the chain ended up breaking free from the wall and snagging onto Luigi's leg.

"WOAH! HELP! Fido or whatever your name is, STOP!"

"Luigi!" Malon yelped, grabbing Luigi's hand only to get pulled away too. This same pattern happened with Tails, Knuckles, and Meta Knight, and the partners grabbed onto Meta Knight's cape, much to the annoyance of the warrior.

"Ow! OW!"

"What were we supposed to do, Meta?"

"I-want-to-know-why-this-Chomp-is-so-feisty!" Luigi managed to gasp out between bumps.

"Did-you-know-that-Chomps-can-apparently-see-in-the-dark?" Tails asked. "I-think-it's-good-he-wants-to-help-us!"

"So are we supposed to let him guide us through the rest of the floor while we dangle helplessly?" Torque asked.

"Do-we-have-a-choice?" questioned Malon.

"We-could-let-go," Knuckles stated sarcastically.

While they contemplated such a predicament, the Chain Chomp was so hyped up on that Shroom, he charged straight down the middle of that room and into the next one- which was the one with the "five partner challenges". This time around, there were just five white walls without any means of getting by. The Chomp let out a series of chipper barks before plowing through the five white walls, causing pieces to existentially fly at the crew. Nevertheless, they speed through the room at quite an increased rate.

"Oh-man-the-next-room-is the gap and Chomps can't fly!" Luigi exclaimed, voice becoming more even as the Chomp bounded into the air.

"This Chomp is asking for a death wish!" wailed Hayzee, gripping Torque for extra suppose. "Oh, but what a scene this could make-"

"Please, not NOW Hayzee!"

"I have to get inspiration from somewhere…"

Thoughts of doom crossed everyone's mind…until the Chomp performed a wall jump and somehow managed to spring over to the other exit! Team Luigi was stunned.

"…this is not an ordinary Chomp…"

"Can you believe we're even-hanging-on-to-its-tail?"

The next room the Chomp was destined to rampage in was the room with all the bats- or, supposedly the bats. In Hatesong Tower, there were Embers, Lava Bubbles, and Phantom Embers, apparent variations of the Swooper family.

"Oh-great."

The Chomp showed no fear and contently made his way through that room too, orange, blue, and green orbs of fire coming at him.

"Hey-what-about-those-Flares-that-attacked-me?"

"Apparently-they-aren't-here-Knuckles."

The flames harmlessly bounced off the Chomp's indestructible structure, yet still managed to set a small part of Luigi's clothes on fires.

"Oh, come on!"

Luigi made a bold attempt to put it out by waving his leg, but that apparently didn't work. Malon tried to blow it out…but it made it bigger.

"Oh Snap! SNAP!"

"I've got it!" Hayzee exclaimed before beginning to cry. His tears did the trick in putting out the flame, to which Luigi gave a grateful look to.

"Hurry-up-you-Chomp!" Knuckles complained minutes later. The partners groaned in protest also.

"I think Meta's cape is gonna rip-"

"It better not! It's made of pure polyester and came from my grandmother!"

"Whoa, just take it easy man!"

Soon enough, the Chomp had reached the final room on that floor, which was the equivalent of the entrance to the Rapturous Ruins. It finally slowed down, resulting in the crew slumping on the floor and Luigi at last able to release the chain from his grasp.

"Whoa nelly…that was weird beyond belief."

"I thought it was pretty pointless myself…"

"At least we didn't have to waste time going through this floor!"

"I think it was pretty cheap."

"No one asked- hey, what's up with the Chompster?"

Everyone turned to the Chomp, which was staring in fear at the stairway leading up to the 9th floor. It let out a whimper before turning tail and jetting back to where it came from. Team Luigi exchanged nervous glances.

"That wasn't a good sign…even this tower's minions are afraid of the upper floors!"

"Well we can't be!" Luigi exclaimed, adjusting his hat and hoping that his nervous twitch wouldn't start acting up again. He motioned for his team to follow as he started to ascend up the stairs to the mysterious next floor.

"…I bet it's something terrifying!" Jerry blurted out, unable to bottle up his fear anymore. "Oh man, were going to die, aren't we?"

"Jerry, get a grip, please!" Meta Knight exclaimed. "So a floor wasn't on the map. That is no reason to fear it, like Luigi said."

Luigi glanced around nervously before pulling his hat over his head even more. "Right, right…"

They walked-or should I say- trudged up, trying to shove all thoughts of stalling any longer out of their minds. A select few were sucking in their breath, other's were on the alert. After what seemed like an eternity, the 9th floor finally came into sight…

…and stunned all ten members of the team.

"Holy goddesses…" Malon breathed.

"WHOA!" the partners all wailed simultaneously like they have been doing lately.

"It's breathtaking…" trailed Knuckles. "Not even I have treasure this…this shiny!"

"It's incredible…"

"It's so pure…"

"It's definitely unexpected."

They were on the floor made of gold.

"This isn't scary in anyway!" Luigi declared, a hint of relief in his voice. He started walking in while everyone else stared in wonder. "It sure is beautiful…"

"…and awfully suspicious if you ask me…" muttered Tails.

"Perhaps whoever owns the place wanted at least one peaceful place to relax!" suggested Hayzee.

"Screamy would certainly do that if Screamy had a tower to call his own! Yup yup!"

"I'd think this is the Chestnut King's hideout, seeing as he kidnapped sweet Éclair!" Luigi stated. "And we shall save her soon!"

"The way to the next floor is over here," called Meta Knight, staring at the only non-gold part of the floor. Luigi gave a solid gold table a strange pat before calling his troops forward- as he said before, the faster they got to the top, the faster they could save Éclair!

"Wait you guys, don't you think that's a little too obvious?" Tails asked, gazing at the gold and crystal chandelier overhead. "I mean, doesn't anything seem off about this? A pure gold room with an obvious exit. It worries me…"

"Think of it as a…freebie floor!" Torque suggested. "Perhaps the next one just means more trouble for us!"

"How is that more positive?" questioned Hayzee. Torque shrugged.

"I didn't see you coming up with anything!"

"But I-"

"Well I'm not sticking around any longer!" Knuckles announced, thundering up the stairs. Tails sighed.

"I still find this room odd, but I'm not changing your minds anytime soon…"

He trotted after everyone, glancing over his shoulder unsurely before continuing.

"Now, this is the 10th floor, right?" Blooey asked. He was hopping up the steps in rhythm to Malon's boot stomps and was genuinely curious.

"I believe so, Blooey. Do you think it'll be a pretty as the previous one?" Malon replied."

Knuckles threw in, "Nope."

Malon didn't even bother replying to that as the group headed into the forbidden and secretive 10th floor- one of the ones that Éclair was unable to reach. Luigi reached the top stair and entered the room, instantly feeling a sense of dread wash over him.

"I told you it probably wouldn't be pleasant," Knuckles said simply, though the look on his face also revealed that he was just as stunned. It was definitely royal, and it was definitely a throne room, but the entire atmosphere of it was dread.

Navy blue bricks were the walls, and a dark cobalt blue were the curtains and carpet. Two large, tall windows rested of either side of the room, not quite working with the tower itself, but providing a nice view for the rumbling storms just outside. The throne was probably as tall as the windows, and matched the color scheme of the rest of the room. It was a miracle that they could even tell it was throne room, between the dark colors and lack of light, you'd think it'd be impossible to see.

"A throne room…?" Luigi whispered.

"Not only that- a dead end!" cried Jerry.

The second fact was deemed irrelevant, because what was the point of the throne room in a desolate tower like Hatesong?

"How…disturbing." murmured Malon. "I liked the last floor better."

"Hey…look at this statue…" Knuckles urged gaping at the art craved out of the grey marble. "It resembles someone!"

"Anyone can see it's a person…" Blooey stated as a matter-of-factly. "The question is, who in the world could it be?"

"Could it be the Chestnut King?" Tails dared to reach out and feel the texture- he ran his hands against what was meant to be a robe, then a scepter. "He looks regal and evil enough…"

Luigi, shocked into silence, shook his head. "No…the Chestnut King is a beast- a creature, a monster, from what I heard. This guy looks somewhat humane…"

"Luigi, you're looking paler than usual, is something wrong?"

Luigi shook his head. "N-No, of course not. Must be this room freaking me out…perhaps this statue is from a previous tower owner or something, yeah…"

The entire team wasn't buying that, and neither was Luigi, but the topic was dropped. Poor Luigi was scared stiff, and he knew it wasn't a good idea to say why. The group took a small break to occupy themselves with the inside of the throne room, pondering the histories behind them, but Luigi continued to ponder the histories of that statue.

"What's it doing here? Why is there a throne room here of all places- this certainly isn't a kingdom!"

These thoughts were at the front of his mind, but the one that stuck out, yet hid out in the back of his mind, was what subconsciously frightened him more than anything at that particular moment.

He could've sworn he'd seen that man before.

* * *

**Now that I reread it, this chapter isn't as bad as I thought, but it still doesn't compare to last week's chapter. :P I can't remember how late it was when I wrote that Chain Chomp part...**

**Fun Fact: I finished this chapter just yesterday.**


	47. A Final Round

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 46: A Final Round

"Okay, this room is obviously a dead end," Tails stated, trying to get everyone to return focus to the mission at hand. "The question is, is this the final floor, or did we miss something?"

"Yeah, if this was the final floor, where's Éclair or the Chestnut King?"

"Well, my vote goes to heading back to the previous floor…" Tails glanced over to Luigi. "…but I don't call the shots."

Luigi finally took his stare off the statue and shook off his negative feelings. "Uh, whuzzut? Yeah, yeah, maybe backtracking won't hurt."

"How is a lower floor going to help us get to a potential higher floor?"

"Well there certainly wasn't anyway to do that in the throne room," Tails pointed out. "We've nearly turned the entire place over!"

"Okay, okay…"

"Don't have much of a choice, do we?" Malon questioned with a shrug, already turning back around and heading out. "Did we really think it'd be that easy?"

"Torque was the one saying that the last room was a freebie," Knuckles stated, pointing at said partner who now had a pulsing red X on his forehead.

"Hey! I didn't see you tryin' to reassure Tails in any way!"

**Floor 9-**

"Well, looks like I was right about there being something odd about the room! Hmph!"

Tails leaned casually against the single gold cabinet in the room, gave it a few knocks, and a secret passage opened in the wall, causing Knuckles to give an awestruck Torque a snicker.

"Good work Tails!" chimed Luigi and Malon.

"…should I even ask how you knew what to do?" Meta Knight asked in more of a statement rather than a question. Tails grinned widely and shook his head. Hayzee and Blooey went to investigate the new passage, and confirmed that it did indeed lead somewhere.

"Well, let's actually get somewhere!"

Luigi boldly (and obviously nervously) strolled into the hidden passage, since no one was going to go in unless he had volunteered first. Weakly lit torches lined the walls, providing a little more light in the mysterious ascending hall. However, the light began to fade away, and it even seemed like whatever lie ahead was seeping out some sort of mist.

"That's not creepy or eerie…"

"And there's no point in asking what lies ahead because we're about to find out in a few moments any…"

"We need a wider variety of things to talk about."

"We're on a quest, not a radio show."

Luigi poked his head into the next floor and sweat dropped. Blooey did the same and gasped.

"Hey! A room we're so totally screwed in!"

"It can't be that bad-" Malon began to protest, until she saw Luigi shake his head.

"The 11th floor is the Weaponry…"

"Oh snap!"

There it was, in all its eerie glory, was the Weaponry. Just as lifeless and terrifying as when Éclair had first gazed upon it. Luigi shivered- not from fear, but man that room was stone cold!

"We…have to go through there, don't we?" gulped Torque.

"C'mon you guys…" Malon trailed, walking ahead against the silent protests of her friends. "It's just an area full of weapons! They're not going to come alive or something!"

"That's easy enough to say…" murmured Meta Knight. "It's not like we haven't faced anything out of the ordinary before!"

Nevertheless, despite being somewhat reluctant, the team trotted cautiously behind Malon. The room seemed to crush them with its gloomy outlook. Luigi's mustache started twitching, and he could only hope that tugging his hat over his face several times was going to calm him.

"Man…sure are a lot of impressive killing devices in this room…" Blooey trailed, followed by a whistle.

Luigi winced. "Blooey, don't say things like that! You're making me nervous."

The smirk Luigi received told all. The plumber muttered something under his breath and tried to keep himself sane.

"I will say…the Chestnut King does have quite the assortment…" Meta Knight pondered, also gazing at the walls of weapons.

"Can we please let go about the talk of all the weapons?"

"Someone has weapon-o-phobia…"

"I really don't think it's called that-"

Knuckles suddenly froze out of nowhere, pupils shrinking. Everyone also stopped, although just to stare at the look on Knuckles' face.

"Erm…what's up Knuckles?"

"…I feel like I just tripped an invisible wire…"

Luigi instantly screamed and ran for him life, just before the walls began to rumbled and axes swung down from the ceiling. Spears and spikes jetted out of the wall, getting ready to shoot, flamethrowwers came to life, ninja stars rained down, and everyone took Luigi's actions.

"Way to go, Knuckles!" shouted Malon, Tails, Torque, Blooey, and Hayzee.

"Do you really think I wanted to do that?"

"Screamy says it was not Knuckles' fault."

"Just run you guys!" Luigi cried. "The walls a closing in, and there's a tom of things trying to kill us!"

"And you said the weapons couldn't come alive…" Met Knight grumbled to Malon.

"This is_ so_ not what I meant!"

"On your left!" Knuckles yelped, Tails, Malon, and himself to duck rightwards. A ninja star just missed cutting off their heads. Meta Knight reflected a few back with his sword, but them Tails had to push him away from a laser's line of destruction.

"Blooey! Let's go!" Malon called.

Blooey was at her side in a flash and jumped up. "I've got your back!"

"Hi-YAH!"

She hurled Blooey toward a spear on projectory to hit Tails, luckily knocking it off course. Luigi jumped up to grab it, then fended off some knives flying toward them.

"Cannonball! Hit the floor!" Jerry screamed at the top of his lungs, falling to the ground with his words. No one asked any questions and ducked too- a two-ton sphere of iron soaring over their heads.

"We've gotta get to the door before we get smashed in!" Luigi leaped off the floor along with his friend and held the compass out before him. "Magnetic Field!"

The purple- blue dome of protection radiated out o the compass and expanded over the entire team. Now they were at least safe from flying projectiles as they made their mad sprint.

Everyone except Meta Knight.

"ARGH!"

The cry of pain emitted from the warrior just before he too was protected by the field-he was struck in the arm by something sharp, and even though Meta Knight had removed it quite swiftly, he certainly wasn't healed. Malon screamed, the partners all widened their eyes, Knuckles and Tails were on the verge of panicking, and Luigi nearly fainted. However, Malon stomping on his foot to rush over to Meta Knight seemed to set him straight.

"Meta Knight! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Malon cried, trying to poke and pry at Meta Knight.

"No, I'm fine, really- ARGH!"

"That does not sound fine."

"We can't patch him up here though!" Tails gulped. "We have to get to the stairs!"

"But he's in pain!" protested Malon.

"I'm -urgh- fine, honest-"

Knuckles scooped Meta Knight up -against his will- and bolted.

"I'm not sticking around. Let's move!"

Luigi nodded and took off also, now seeing that the walls were closing in on them at a breakneck pace and the shield was starting to weaken.

"I don't think we'll make it!"

"We have to!"

"Why is it so far away?"

Screamy, no where near fast enough to catch up with Knuckles, stopped to ponder the situation. No one took note of whatever Screamy was doing, too torn from Meta Knight predicament to their very own.

"Let's hope Screamy can pull this off."

His eyes went from their soft red to the deep, dark purple as he grew to his menacing size. Eventually, he became so wide that he spread out toward the walls, stopping them in their tracks- for the moment. Being semi-transparent, he was able to hold the walls off while at the same time have any weapons aimed at him pass right through.

Knuckles practically did a barrel roll into the stairs, followed by Luigi tripping over his own two feet, Tails and Malon falling on him, and Blooey, Torque, Hayzee, and Jerry tumbling into that terrible pileup.

"Hoo…we're all safe now…" Hayzee wheezed. Knuckles set Meta Knight down and looked around frantically.

"Hey…where's Screams…? SCREAMY? !"

The walls suddenly collided together, stayed that way for a few, silent moments, then retracted apart again to reset the trap. Seeing that Screamy certainly wasn't with them, Knuckles started twitching uncontrollably as Malon rushed over to Meta Knight.

"Okay, you need attention, like NOW!"

"No I don't-"

"Stop protesting. I don't know if it's a warrior's honor or something, but your arm is bleeding for crying out loud! Badly."

Knuckles tossed Blooey, Jerry, and Torque into the air, as if hoping to find Screamy hiding under one of them or something.

"Screamy? Screamy! Where are you?"

Luigi and Tails once again exchanged glances as Knuckles was on the verge of going on a rampage. Malon meanwhile pulled out her flute and played a Healing song, which was only able to ease Meta Knight pain, considering how bad of a gash it was. Meta Knight sighed in relief.

"Ah, that feels a lot better…"

"Yeah, but it isn't heal, which technically doesn't do you any good…" Malon stared at her flute and frowned. "I'd really hate to say I think this thing is running out of magic…"

Meta Knight removed his hand from the wound just as Knuckles placed the Master Emerald (at small size) on his head, grumbled the chant while still on high alert for Screamy. Suddenly, the power from the M.E. flowed through Meta Knight, eventually healing his arm and patching it right up. Meta Knight, amazed at what he had witnessed, instantly poked at his arm.

"You just…magically healed me…" he said in awe as Knuckles removed the Master Emerald and trotted away. "Wow, that's some gem."

"I know. And you're lucky…" He angrily shoved his fist into a wall, making the entire staircase shake. "Does _anyone_ know where Screamy is?"

"Sorry Knuckles, haven't seen him since we bolted," replied everyone at the same time. There was an awkward silence after that, followed by Knuckles falling on his knees to the floor.

"Oh man…what if...what if…"

He starred motionlessly ahead while everyone else was basked in the impeding silence. Suddenly, there was a spring noise and a confusing, "Huh? Is everyone morning for Screamy? Screamy is already a spirit, no need for sadness now!"

Knuckles suddenly burst out in a rare moment of happiness.

_"Screams!"_

Screamy let out a small yelp as Knuckles picked him up and held him out.

"Where the heck did you go? I thought you had been squashed!"

"Did you forget Screamy is already a spirit? Silly Knuckles! Screamy held off the walls as long as he could…luckily Team Luigi got free! Yay!"

Knuckles blinked, dropped his jaw, blinked again, then grinned.

"Screams, you are the best!"

"Ah, Screamy knows…"

As Screamy struck a pose in Knuckles palm, and Knuckles was awash with relief that his partner wasn't gone forever after all, Luigi smiled and held out his compass, whispering, "Refresh Direction". All the team's HP and FP was filled, but Luigi was now super-low on CP.

Meta Knight stood up, now feeling totally fine. He wound was healed, the pain was gone, his HP was filled, and Tails for some reason was wrapping a bandage around his arm-

"What are you doing, may I ask?" Meta Knight questioned the fox, putting the white piece of cloth around where the wound was once. Tails grinned sheepishly and sweat dropped.

"Well, uh, e-everyone else got to help heal you…I wanted to go something too."

The squeal Malon let out from the "adorableness of the moment" was enough to make Meta Knight grumble, "Go ahead Tails…" and for the fox to finish his first aid. Now Meta Knight was equipped with a tough-looking white piece of fabric around his arm.

"Now that we're all together and patched up…" Luigi started again, gazing up the stairs. "Something tells me we should probably keep going."

No one could object to that, regardless if they even wanted to.

**Floor 12-**

"…a bedroom? Really?"

They were face to face with a bedroom.

"Darn it! If I'da known, then I wouldn't have had to waste my CP!" Luigi complained. He sat on the bed, making everyone else gasp dramatically. "…what?"

"Isn't that where the Chestnut king would sleep?" Tails gawked.

Luigi flung off the bed so fast he swore he left a scorch mark.

"Urgh…that's unsettling."

"I think it's actually safe to safe there's nothing bad about this room." Malon stated. Knuckles grinned, showing his fangs, before cracking his knuckles and practically beating down a dresser. Everyone was horrified.

"Idiot! What are you doing?" Blooey questioned sharply.

"Well, if this room really belong to the bad guy, then does it matter if we trash it? Besides, we may find something useful!" Knuckles responded, tossed a drawer over his shoulder and sending Luigi and Tails ducking for cover.

"There he goes, trying to take someone's head off again…"

"Sorry Thunder- hey, a Power Punch!"

"(insert inaudible grumbling)"

Jerry wanted to help ransack too, and his target destination was the closet. He jumped up to the doorknob, but for whatever reason it was locked.

"That's odd…the door is locked! I wonder why that is?"

"Whatever it is, it's a definite sign we should not go in there because it may be a trap that can kill us," Meta Knight mumbled, watching Knuckles literally turn a table and locate a Shooting Star. Luigi just shook his head and headed to the next staircase- staying in a bedroom was certainly not going to help them!

"Let's roll guys. Obviously there's nothing in this room for worth-"

"But I'm finding a ton of stuff!" Knuckles exclaimed, now tossing another drawer, this one slamming into the closet, and revealing a Gold Bar. Malon rolled her eyes.

"We don't even need a Gold Bar at this point!"

"Hey, you never know."

Knuckles pocketed the find before hurrying to catch up with the team.

"Is it just me, or is it getting really dark now?" Torque asked, noticed the increasing blackness of the stairwells. Luigi shrugged.

"Wouldn't be the first dark area in this tower…"

Torque shrugged. "I was just pointing it out…"

"There's the door to the…13th Floor…" Jerry trailed, seeing said door just up ahead.

"Please don't tell me you're superstitious," groaned Meta Knight. Jerry shook his head.

"I was just pointing out…"

"Hey, you can't use my excuse!"

Ignoring the upcoming debate, Luigi kicked the door to the 13th open…and found the dungeon.

"Man, why in the world would anyone want a bedroom above a weaponry and under a dungeon?"

"We didn't design it."

"_You think Éclair's in here…?"_ Luigi whispered before calling out the sweet princess' name. _"Princess Éclair? Hello?"_

"I'm guessing she isn't in here," Malon said flatly. Luigi grinned sheepishly.

"It was worth a try!"

_"A try well wasted…"_

Everyone did a double take at the unexpected, yet highly recognizable high pitched annoying voice echoed out of the darkness…followed by several "Meeeeeorks!"

"We're_ BAAAAAAAAACK!" _heckled the Hyper Fuzzy, bouncing around at his uncontrollable speeds. Team Luigi took fighting stances as Black emerged from the shadows.

"Meeeeeork ork! Weren't expecting to see us again, huh?"

"I can't say I did…" Knuckles trailed. "What are these things?"

"They're Fuzzies…" Malon began to explain, pulling out her bow. "They chased Luigi through the forests around Rumblebump Volcano!"

"They got in my way while I was trying to save Malon!" added Luigi.

"They herded me into Malon, quite literally!" Tails exclaimed.

"And they were trying to sabotage Hayzee's play…" finished Meta Knight.

Knuckles nodded and pounded his fists together. "Well if they're enemies of yours, they're enemies of mine! I'll take 'em all out!"

The Rainbow Fuzzy Brigade started dying of laughing, in a fit of meeeorking. Team Luigi cocked their head, but said nothing.

"Oh, meeeeeork…you guys are hilarious!" bellowed Gold.

"We've got this win hands down!" laughed Pink.

"Oh yeah? And how's that?" snapped Blooey, glaring intently at Red.

"How did you guys even end up here?" Tails questioned. Black just smirked.

"Two questions share one answer…oh Purple! Meeork!"

Black, Pink, Green, Gold, Blue, Red, White, Silver, and Hyper all parted as a purple Fuzzy headed up to the front, seeming to be sparking with electricity.

"Hello, meeeeeeeeeeeork!"

Black snickered evilly before beginning to bounce. "You see, Purple here is the most powerful out of all of us! She has the ability to teleport and transform!"

"New question- why are you stalking us?" Malon hissed. She already began to take careful aim in-between the Fuzzy's eyes.

"You don't get it, do you?" Blue snorted. "We're in it for revenge!"

"I thought were in it to get famous for their adventure?" Hyper questioned, only to be brutally tackled by Purple, Green, and Silver. Black twitched in rage.

"You pure idiot!"

"What'd he mean by that?" Luigi was genuinely confused.

"You haven't seen the shop in Rogueport? We've been writing stories about your adventure!" Black explained, a malicious tint still plastered to his expression. "We even called it the Super Luigi series!"

"Don't think we're complimenting you- what better way to get revenge than snag your royalties!" cackled Red. He received whumps from Purple, White, and Gold.

"That is evil!" Torque gasped. "…Luigi could use that money to pay me off!"

"Say wha-"

"The only downside to this plan is that you feel the unnecessary need to use us as punching bags!" snarled Green. "You stepped on our leader, and every time we've tried to get back at you you're wailing on US!"

Luigi scowled and held out the compass. Despite it being empty of it's CP, the Fuzzies cowered in fear. It was that threatening.

"I've got a great reason for drilling you guys into the ground- there's a sweet princess up ahead that's counting on me to save her, and you thing are just making sure her time is running out!"

Tails randomly cheered in the background while Knuckles readied his fists again.

"So Thunder, we gonna rumble with these guys?"

Before Luigi could even respond, Black Fuzzy whistled, and Purple's suddenly lit up in a crazy electric blue. Knuckles' confidence went down south for the winter, Luigi twitched, and Blooey was going on about how the Red Fuzzy better not come anywhere near him.

"Transformation, _meeeee_-ORRRRRK!"

"That doesn't sound good…" gulped Torque.

"Screamy is conflicted."

Purple Fuzzy grew 10 times her size, similar to Screamy, but the scarier part was that it was like the other Fuzzies were being…absorbed! By the time the strange transformation was finished, the Fuzzies had all combined together to make one large grey Fuzzy!

"…and the best part is, we have all our abilities!" Black's voice rang out. "My bite, Pink's FP sucker, Green's copy, Gold's high HP, Red's mega attack, Blue's ability to attack more than once, Silver's powers, White's lightning and Hyper's charge! MEEEEEEEE-ORK ORK!"

"Oh my gosh- they've transformed into a Mary-Sue!"

"_How dare you!_ That's the highest form of an insult in the world!"

"This world or all of 'em?"

"Does it matter?" the Atomic Fuzzy bellowed out a roar and jumped up and down twice. "You wanted to fight- time to even up the score!"

Luigi prepared for a pre-battle pass out, but Tails and Malon held him up.

"How are we supposed to beat that…that…_that combobulation!"_

"The same way we beat everything else!"

"Ork ork ork…in fear, Luigi?" teased the newly formed Atomic Fuzzy.

Luigi adjusted his hat and sprung into the air. "Yes…yes I am."

He Ultra-jumped into the air, which for him being twice as high as Mario's Ultra Jump, then did a Spin-Jump straight down onto the Atomic Fuzzy. A whopping 15 damage was taken away from the maximum 70. Atomic Fuzzy screeched out in pain, but was then quickly silenced by Hayzee's Dayzee Tears.

"Drat, it didn't poison!" cried the flower actor/director.

"Don't think it'll be so easy, fools!"

Atomic Fuzzy jumped over to Luigi, and using Black's, Pink, Red, and Blue's power, stole 5 HP and FP from him 3 times.

"Mama mia! That's 15 off-a ME!" Luigi wheezed. Atomic Fuzzy cackled as its HP was replenished thoroughly.

"Ah, it's great to be an awkward combination of Fuzzies…"

Malon made a face and launched one of her arrows- right between the eyes! Blooey then jumped up into her hand, giving Malon great aim for another between-the-eye shot. The combination of their attacks made 12! Atomic Fuzzy let out a scream that would made Screamy's pale in comparison, effectively calling forth some lightning on everyone, and doing extra damage to Tails- once again because of his sensitive hearing.

"Come on!" Tails complained, taking out his screwdriver and clonking the Fuzzy on the head for 7 damage. "That's so totally unfair!"

Torque used Screw Driver, taking off a decent 5 from the repulsive creature. Said repulsive creature used the Silver Fuzzy's power, propelling Tails and Torque into the nearest wall with just one look. While Malon rushed over to help, Meta Knight scowled darkly and gripped his sword. Charging quickly at the Atomic Fuzzy, he attacked with rapid slashes, taking away 6 total. Jerry then helped out a lot with Mega Bomb, doing 8!

"Time for a little refuel…"

Atomic Fuzzy screeched before diving at Meta Knight, ready to take some HP back. The swordsman was ready for it, however, and though the Fuzzy managed to get back 10 HP, Meta Knight had hacked it with his sword at the last second to make sure they didn't take any more.

"Good job!" Jerry cheered. Meta Knight returned to his spot and wrapped his cape around himself.

"That's what they get…"

"All right! About time Knuckles got to shine!" exclaimed the echidna, pumping his fists.

"And what can you possibly do?" snorted the Fuzzy. Knuckles snickered before jumping up into the air, shouting "Hammer Punch!" then slammed his fist into the ground, sending out a massive shockwave that knocked the Atomic Fuzzy over and even made Team Luigi stumble.

"Yeah, how's that?"

"Urgh…"

The Fuzzy was down to 36 HP after the attack, and it went to 30 after Screamy used Moan. Atomic Fuzzy jumped up then bounced from Knuckles to Screamy, damaging them 3 times each. Screamy started floundering around, thanks to the massive hit for the massive Fuzzy, but a just-as-dizzy Knuckles helped set him straight.

"Okay, back to me!" Luigi stated. He took out the Marvelous Compass- all the battling had filled the CP a little- and shouted, "Wild West!"

Thing got…wild after that, with rocks falling, dust clouds forming, and the occasional tumble weed. Anyone witnessing would've sworn there was a coyote howl, but in reality it was the Atomic Fuzzy shouting in distress.

Luigi had to smirk at that. "Heh heh heh…"

"It's not funny!" came Gold's voice, followed by a scream that would've belonged to Pink. Once that commotion was over, the Fuzzy had 7 drained away. Hayzee then sang, effectively putting the Fuzzy to sleep for two turns. Luigi and Hayzee shared a high five while Malon Boot Bashed and Blooey used Blooper Blitz, for a combo of 8.

"Wow, who knew we were so strong!" Malon cried, dancing around. "It's already down to 15 HP!"

Atomic Fuzzy just continued to sleep. Tails whacked it with his wrench for 5 damage. It was super-effective. The Fuzzy woke up! Torque pulled into his shell and had Tails kick him into the Fuzzy, trying to pull off a "Koopa Move" of sorts. This did 5 damage also, bringing the Fuzzy down to a dangerous 5. The Atomic Fuzzy did not despair, however.

"Oh snap- we forgot about the Green Fuzzy's move!" Meta Knight grunted, seeing the Atomic Fuzzy split into two.

"Meeeeeeeork ork ork!"

"Bucket fudge!"

Meta Knight went to attack one Fuzzy (defeating it), leaving the other wide open to attack and take 15 of Jerry's HP, bringing it's total up to 20. Heads were smacked, but Jerry collapsed.

"Sorry Meta Knight…"

"It's not your fault," Meta knight responded, glaring darkly at the Fuzzy. It grinned its crooked smile before diving toward Meta Knight once again, aiming to sap his HP. Meta Knight put up a grand fight, letting the Fuzzy only get away with 3.

"Better brace yourselves! DEEP IMPACT!"

Knuckles, donning his Shovel Claws, bolted like a bullet at the Fuzzy, grunted all the while. Now the Fuzzy actually showed somewhat fear when Knuckles just about split the air apart before striking quite the blow.

"MEEEEEE-Ouch ouch OWCH!"

Knuckles' grin told all as he jumped back to his spot (he did a whooping 12! It isn't called Deep Impact for nothing!) and Screamy prepared his turn.

"Prepare yourself, Tails…" he warned in advance before taking in a deep breath. Tails instantly pressed his ears to his head, covered his ears with his hands, then covered his ears with his tails.

"Poor kid needs earplugs for this kind of situation…" Luigi mused.

"_EEEEEEEEYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"_

Everyone hit the ground with that scream while the Atomic Fuzzy was the equivalent of froze to the spot.

"That's simply inhumane!" wailed the Purple Fuzzy's voice. "It's already enough that we can't hang on much longer!"

"Grit your teeth and BARE IT!" hissed Black.

Screamy's scream left the Fuzzy with a measly 5, and it sure was mad about it. Baring its fangs, it charged at Knuckles, who had a split second to rev his fist up and conk the Fuzzy right in the jaw. The Fuzzy was left discombobulated while Knuckles fist stayed suspended in the air, surprised that he had actually pulled off a counter.

"2 more HP to go, Luigi!" Malon cried. Luigi gave a nod, gripped his Ultra Hammer, and twisted himself up. Atomic Fuzzy was at least not dizzy enough to see it coming and groaned.

"Oh fudge in a bucket-"

_WHAM!_

Luigi's mallet smote the fiend, deplenishing it of all HP, and separating it into all of its parts. The group of Fuzzies fidgeted in pain on the ground, the Black one obviously the angriest.

"Grrr! That does it! I'm tired of fighting these idiots! We're going to get rich off of 'em anyway!"

"Ooog…that didn't go as planned…" moaned Purple.

"I'm aching…" grumbled White.

"I'm HYPAH!" yelled you-know-who, even going as far as to jump out the window. Team Luigi stared awkwardly as Black gathered himself together and shouted some parting words.

"You may have seen the last of us, but the damage we've done to you will last forever! Meeeeeeeeork!"

And all of them launched out the window.

"…they are so weird."

"What did they mean by that?"

"Why did they jump out the window?"

"Who knows…" winced Luigi, gathering himself together and taking off for the final staircase. But they're gone now. And Éclair is just ahead…along with the Chestnut King."

* * *

**Anyone else like the thought of there being some enemy, Tails coming outta nowhere, and whacking them in the head with a wrench? No? Must just be me. Anywho, we are finally at... THE. FINAL. BOSS. *dramatic music* And I'm warning you, first part is lame, middle part is required, and final part is nothing short of epic. And by "parts", I mean chapters. And then beyond the final boss is like a 4-chapter epilogue so that it ties in to SPMX. ^^**

**Oh yeah: ** ^^**


	48. Chestnut King: Crack Him Open!

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 47: Chestnut King: Crack Him Open!

_The trek through the long castle had been done. The end was here. Éclair's voice could finally be matched with the sweet princess it belonged to. The journey had been long, and there were many times when it would be logical to throw what you've worked for out the window, but it was still there. The spark. The very thing that drove the team to the end. The end was here. _

"It's really good thing I knew of this passage, huh?" Screamy asked, once again trotting behind Knuckles happily as they climbed the secret passed to the secret 14th floor. Luigi could feel it in his heart- that must be where Éclair was hid!

"The foul Chestnut King will pay!" Luigi exclaimed, eyes full of determination.

"It's looking like the final boss, am I right?" Tails asked, seeming to be very calm at the moment. Luigi gave him a nod and kept onward. _Éclair…save the day…Chestnut King. _All the things that ran through his mind at the moment.

"…what are your guys thoughts?" he asked quietly.

"Anxious, I suppose…." responded Hayzee. He was somewhat apprehensive about the situation, but he wasn't about to let it hold him back.

"It's also very exciting!" cheered Malon. "My first final boss ever!"

"That's a good thing?" exhausted Luigi, Tails, Meta Knight and Knuckles. Malon froze in mid-cheer and blinked.

"What? I'm the only one here that hasn't faced a final boss of sorts! This is an accomplishment for me!"

Meta Knight sighed, Tails shook his head, and Knuckles face palmed.

"Then you should know that final bosses are not a piece of cake. They are brutal…" gulped Luigi. Sure, he may not have been on as many travels as Mario, but he was there from time to time when they took down Bowser…boy was it frightening!

"Of course. It's not like I'm going to get careless!"

"I can't believe I went from a random bomb in a forest to a hero of the Waffle Kingdom!" stated Jerry.

"I can't believe I went from play director to adventurer!"

"I can't believe I went from white to burnt sienna!"

"I can't believe you're still not over it…"

"Guys, we're at the top…" Luigi breathed, Éclair's room coming into view. "Maybe she's in there…ooh!"

"Then hurry up!" Malon cried, giving him a light shove. Luigi picked up the pace a bit, then poked his head into the room. A quaint little room, fit for a princess…if there was a princess in there to fit it.

"Princess Éclair! Éclair…are you in here?" Luigi called out.

"It's obvious she isn't," grunted Knuckles.

"Don't even think about trying to ransack THIS room too!" Malon ordered.

"I wasn't! Yeesh!"

"Well we've got a problem, people! This is literally a dead end. No Éclair, no Chestnut King. What now?"

That did propose a problem, and no one was sure what the solution to that was. Feeling a bit defeated, Luigi walked around the room, trying to come up with something to do. His mind went blank. All this way…for nothing? Maybe the Chestnut King knew they were coming and fled! The thought made Luigi's blood simply boil, and in a burst of frustration swept his hand over the dresser in the room and knocked a chestnut brown box onto the floor, the lid popping open with a snap.

"This is just marvelous! What are we supposed to do?" he seethed, on the verge of roaring out his anger. "We fought all this way, failing several times, and somehow still made it…all for nothing? !"

"Luigi, calm down-" Malon started, but was cut off by his annoyed stare.

"Just once…the one time when I think I can actually do something and be truly heroic, it all goes down the drain, just like all the other chances in my life!"

Malon cringed at his outburst, Tails widened his eyes, the partners actually felt really bad for Luigi, and Meta Knight and Knuckles were trying to hide their stares. Luigi stared right back, fury in his eyes but disappointment clouding his expression.

And the soft music from the music box started to flow out.

Malon glanced to the ground, spotting the partly open music box that Luigi had knocked to the floor. She pulled out her flute and copied the dong, note for note and all the same.

"What's playing music going to do Malon," Luigi huffed, turning his back to the team in shame, head hung down.

"Well, every song has a meaning. Yours way back when you met me…I was able to get us out of the forest because of it!"

"How's this going to help now?"

Malon ignored his negative rants and keep playing. She moved toward the window, gazing out at the sky of rolling dark clouds and brightened with terrifying lightning. The sight made Tails gulp, and the thunder that followed made his fur stand out on end.

"I hate thunder…" he murmured.

"Maybe we should all just go home," Luigi sighed. "No point in hanging around here-"

Malon's song was abruptly interrupted by a deafening roar from nowhere, and Tails, mistaking it for thunder, dove under the bed.

"What was that?"

The rest of the gang minus Luigi pushed and shoved toward the window, Malon beginning to play once again. The roar rang out again.

"I think it's coming from the roof!" Meta Knight exclaimed.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" asked Hayzee.

"Well, I can climb…" Knuckles trailed. "And Tails and Meta Knight can fly the rest up!"

"Too bad Tails is scared stiff and Luigi has just lost what little confidence he had left…" murmured Jerry.

"Come on Luigi! If we have nothing left to lose, then what's the harm in going just a little bit farther?" Malon questioned. Luigi shook his head and slumped to the floor.

"The fact that it's pointless?"

Knuckles, meanwhile, pulled Tails from under the bed.

"C'mon Tails. It's only lightning!"

"Only lightning that I'm afraid of! I suppose you want me to go out there, don't you? _Nuh-uh_! Outta the question!"

"Listen, one inner conflict is enough to deal with…" huffed Meta Knight. "Your phobia kicking in certainly isn't helping any."

"I can't help that!"

Malon stomped her foot as her eye began to twitch. "Are you kidding me? You're the guy that, even when he's getting ready to pee his pants will still continue on into a death trap! And now that we're at the very end, so close to reaching our goal, you want to go crashing down because you think we've already failed? You are wrong, Luigi! And if you won't go just a little farther, then Meta Knight, Knuckles, and I will and you can stay here and whimper with Tails."

"HEY! I told you I can't help it!"

Malon turned swiftly to Tails, her hair whooshing along with her. "And you're cowering under a bed! What does that say?"

"This doesn't look good…" gulped Torque.

"Screamy is conflicted."

Tails looked highly upset, but nevertheless crawled out from under the bed.

"F-fine…but if I scream every time the sky flashes, you can't make fun of me!"

"Deal," everyone said simultaneously, then focused their attention back to Luigi.

"You can't form a team, lead them all this way, then give up on them at the very last second!" Malon continued to rant, trying to get it through Luigi's head. "I'm begging you…don't give up!"

"C'mon Luigi- I'm doing it after all!" Tails exclaimed, fear still evident in his voice. "It wouldn't be worth coming all this way…"

"The Luigi I chose to follow wouldn't dare give up in this disgraceful way," Meta Knight stated bluntly.

Knuckles said nothing.

Thunder rumbled outside again, Tails yelped, and Luigi continued to sulk.

"Luigi…we're with you until the bitter end. Please…do it for the Waffle Kingdom! Do it for Éclair! Do it for us…" Malon literally got on her knees and pleaded to Luigi. "…do it for me…"

Luigi was deeply conflicted- more than Screamy claimed to be. As much as he wanted to just turn back now, there would be no way he'd turn back on his team. Ever. Finally, at long last, after what seemed liked hours, Luigi stood up.

"Luigi…?"

His heart was warmed by thoughts of Éclair and his friends, and he now realized his friends felt the same way. Even the partners were actually smiling and happy he wasn't giving up just yet.

"You guys….you guys are right. I…I was just so mad that we'd done this for nothing…"

Malon shook her head. "Say no more Luigi. What matters now is that you're fine! Now…let's get to the roof. I'm telling you, something's up there! What if it's the Chestnut King?"

"Then we'll crack him wide open!" Luigi pointed toward the window. "In that case, let's break!"

"Yay! Luigi's back!" Tails cheered. "I'm not even scared anymore! Er…much."

"Glad he came to his senses…" murmured Meta knight.

He and Tails ran toward the window, followed Malon and Luigi, who were followed by Knuckles. Meta Knight and Tails flew out the window, Malon and Luigi jumped up and grabbing hold.

"Wait for us! Wait for us!" screamed Blooey, Jerry, Torque, and Hayzee. Knuckles tossed Blooey and Jerry toward Malon, and Torque and Hayzee at Luigi. All four were caught safely.

"All right! Let's move!" Luigi called.

"Roger that!"

"C'mon Screams!"

"Screamy hurries! Screamy hurries!"

Screamy bounced onto Knuckles' head, and once Knuckles was sure he wasn't going to fall, leapt out the window, swung himself around, and climbed up the wall. Rain pounded onto them, soaking them to the bone. Lightning flashed, thunder roared…Tails winced but still hung onto Luigi.

The 14th floor's window wasn't too far from the roof, so the flight/climb up wasn't very long. When the heroes peeked over the edge of the tower…all jaws were dropped.

A brown fuzzy monster was staring dead ahead at them, snarling and snorting. Pure rage and hatred emitted in an aura, and he was obviously not happy.

"_That's_ the Chestnut King?" Meta Knight asked. "I was expecting someone a little more civilized…"

They all landed on the roof, still in awe at the awkward sight. The apparent Chestnut King glared at them, like a wolf preparing for an attack. The green toxic goo drooled from his mouth, his fur was soaked and matted, and his eyes were void with black and emptiness. Even Knuckles had to shiver.

"Did this thing really kidnap Éclair?" Blooey scoffed.

"There does seem to be something odd about this…" admitted Malon.

"Well, if a mutant turtle can kidnap a princess, why not a fuzzy bear thing?" shrugged Tails.

"Well it doesn't matter…" Luigi trailed, pulling out the compass. He pointed it threatening at the Chestnut king. "You, sir, are going to have to pay for your heinous crime of kidnapping Princess Éclair! And I have taken it upon myself to be the one to make you pay!"

The Chestnut King seemed to understand Luigi's proposal and advanced toward them, growling and snuffling with every steps. A few of them had to take steps back.

"RAWR!"

"What, he can't talk?"

"His body language is threatening enough!"

The Chestnut King struck a daring stance, as if getting ready to pounce. He knew very well what he was getting into, despite having no control…

Luigi narrowed his eyes and adjusted his cap. "Very well then…Have at you!"

"We're really going through with this, aren't we?" Hayzee asked as everyone assumed a fighting position. Luigi nodded.

"Heck yes. This guy doesn't even look like much…"

"99 HP, I presume…" Tails claimed.

"That's only slightly more than the Atomic Fuzzy!"

"Which was still kinda creepy…"

Luigi cut the brief discussion off by flying forward and leaping off the ground. The Chestnut King look up at the last second, just as boot met with face.

"Ha ha!"

Luigi jumped back to his position as Hayzee stepped up, started to dance around. The Chestnut King stared curiously, wonder what the heck he was doing.

"Petal Dance!" Hayzee cried. His move has raised the team's defense by two and attack by two also! Hayzee took a bow before their opponent made their first attack…

…which was spitting a glob of goo at Luigi.

"Urgh! Gross! GROSS!"

Everyone cringed as Luigi wiped the substance from his face, and becoming poisoned.

"Well that's one way to start off a battle…" he grumbled, the poison sapping 1 HP away from him. "But that was nasty!"

"If that thing slobbers on me, he's gonna get it…" Malon grunted, launching 3 arrows that did 3 damage each. She then threw Blooey right at the king's stomach, causing him to stumble from taking another 9 points worth of damage. He growled menacingly, then stormed up to Malon and glared down at her like an angry bull. Malon's eyes shot wide open while nearly bending over backward to get away from the goo meant to drip on her.

"Ewwwww…"

While she was mesmerized with that, the Chestnut King struck with a mighty swing of his fist that knocked Malon right off her feet. He gave an sadist, satisfied snicker and backed off as Blooey quickly helped Malon up.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…ugh, he needs a bath though. I could SMELL him! Good thing our defense and attack was up!"

Tails twirled his wrench between his finger before flying up and striking the Chestnut King in the head, knocking him literally silly. Some would say he was even Confused! Tails sweat dropped, not intending to do that, but somewhat satisfied nonetheless. Torque used Screw Driver (he happened to favor that move), and brought the Chestnut King down to 54 HP already! However, after the Chestnut King spat at Tails (who was also poisoned), Team Luigi's upgraded wore off.

"Darn! I was looking forward to doing a TON of damage!" complained Knuckles.

"Not quite your turn yet Knuckles…" Meta Knight trailed in an amused manner, disappearing into a Tornado and charging at the Chestnut King. "Prepare to be smite, my foe!"

"Wow, epic." "Totally."

The Chestnut King attempted to push Meta Knight, only to have his sword make contact with his hand and sending him recoiling back in a brown flash. Jerry then lit his fuse and bounced up to the king, Bombing up in his face.

"Grrrrrr…"

The king seemed to charge up an attack before lashing forward and making contact with both Meta Knight and Jerry, sending them to the ground and forcing them to go sliding several feet. Like rabid animal, the king got on all fours and prowled around, still glaring at Meta Knight and Jerry who were trying to pull themselves together.

The Chestnut King prepared to hiss until Knuckles came outta nowhere and preformed an Uppercut on him.

"You've got some serious issues. That's all I'm saying!"

"Screamy despises Chestnut King!"

Screamy hopped over to the Chestnut King and Possessed him. Having no control over himself (even less than what he DID have), the Chestnut king started punching himself, slapping himself, and Knuckles was somewhat appalled that Screamy would go as far as to bite…

"Okay, I think that's enough…"

"Screamy said Screamy hates Chestnut King. Grr!"

Nevertheless, Screamy backed down and left the Chestnut King to attack. Knuckles braced himself for anything…but it was obvious he didn't expect the thing to run over and bite him on the arm.

"The heck? ! The heck? ! OW! Get it off!" he roared, shaking his limb and the monster with it. "Augh! The goo is getting on me!"

"Knuckles!"

As Screamy screamed to help out Knuckles (succeeding in getting the Chestnut King to removing his jaws off Knuckles' arm and Tails to beg for mercy once more), Malon headed over to Luigi.

"Luigi, something is very wrong here…can you feel it?"

"Yeah actually…he doesn't seem like final boss material…" Luigi replied, looking on as Knuckles turned green also and started panicking about he had been "infected". "Oh well- we must defeat the Chestnut King! We must!"

Now that the Chestnut King's turn was finally over, Luigi took this chance to pull out his compass.

"REFRESH DIRECTION!"

He smirked at the king's expression when his team was healed up instantly- all HP and FP filled, and all poison cured. Hayzee then made a move by increasing everyone's defense and attack once again. This time around, Luigi prepared for the Chestnut King's attack, and hope that he wouldn't get spit on again…

Chestnut King targeting him with another glob of poisonous goo.

"COME ON! Are you serious? Yuck yuck YUCK!"

"Luigi, you're poisoned again!" cried Hayzee. Luigi continued to remove himself of the repulsive substance.

"I don't even CARE about that!"

"It's weird having a final boss that doesn't talk back…" Malon pondered as she played Reality Song. "I've heard from Link that the trash talk is part of the fun!"

"Don't listen to Link- the guy's nuts…" murmured Luigi.

"He's protective…" Malon protested. Getting back to the battle, Malon had accidentally played the song that had flowed out of the music box, considering its lovely tune had been still floating around in her head. At the sound, the king instantly grabbed his ears (where ears were supposed to be, anyway) and madly stomped him foot, in a way Tails had done previously.

"He's copying my "my ears are in distress" move!"

"I wonder why such a pretty song has such a negative impact on him…" mused Malon, taking note that the Chestnut King's own attack and defense had gone down. Only by 1 point each, but down nonetheless. Enraged, and deeply wanting the cease the sound, the king charged at Malon and head butted her into the air.

"What the-"

"Malon! Don't worry, I'll catch you!" cried Blooey, running around in circles hoping to catch his partner. However, Tails flew up, Luigi jumped up, and Meta Knight glided up to catch her, they crashed into each other, and Malon ended up in Knuckles' arms. They exchanged a brief glance before it was half "Malon jumped out of Knuckles' arms" and half "Knuckles chucked Malon back into the air."

"Uh…thanks?"

"Don't mention it?"

Luigi, Tails, and Meta Knight, now in a just as awkward heap on the ground, scrambled to get back up.

Torque trailed, "Weird…"

"Whatever, it's our turn!" Tails shrugged, standing up and dusting himself off. This time, he selected his screwdriver as the weapon of choice and went mad on the Chestnut King, doing 8 damage thanks to lowered defense. He was now down to 21!

"Torque! Shell move!"

"This isn't even part of my move arsenal, but it's cool!" Torque replied, preparing the same maneuver they used on the Atomic Fuzzy. He pulled into his shell and started spinning around, Tails giving his partner a stylish kick. The shell hit the king square in the stomach, Torque's torque doing a point of damage also for a total of 7. 14 HP left!

"C'mon, we're really wearing him down!" Tails cheered, until he saw the king charging for him. "Uh oh-"

With a nasty backhand, Tails was literally sent spinning across the roof of the tower.

"WhoooAAAAaaa…eh…"

"Ah! Watch were you're-"

Tails tripped over Torque and fell onto Malon, still exceptionally dizzy from the blow to his innocent face. The rest of the team glanced over to the King, who you could easily tell was not going to go so soft on them anymore. Meta Knight ignored the king's expression and fought on, slightly peeved about the smack Tails received. Before any damage could be dealt, the warrior felt a fist strike him sharply in the face.

"The heck-?"

Meta Knight was plowed back into the ground by the Chestnut King's unexpected super guard, suffering a bit of damage himself. The beast gave what was interpreted as an amused smirk, until it morphed into a snarl when Jerry started running at him for a Body Slam. He grabbed Jerry by his fuse then threw him back into a still recovering Meta Knight.

"Sorry Mettie…"

"Ugh! Why am I always getting hurt? I feel like Sonic!…wait a second, where do you get "Mettie" from? !"

Knuckles gave a dry chuckle as the Chestnut King took his official turn after his super guarding escapade. He reeled his head back and spat a large amount of toxic saliva Meta Knight and Jerry's way. Everyone cringed the second the duo were covered with it.

"…this repulses me on so many levels."

"Plus you're poisoned!"

Continuing on with the battle, Knuckles took his turn by jumped into the air and punching his fists into the ground, just like he had during the Atomic Fuzzy battle. The ground ripped with the force of his fists, sending out a shockwave that damaged the Chestnut King with 7, thanks to his defense and attack being returned to normal. He was down to 7.

"You cannot block Screamy's scream!"

"Screamy, we're all outta HP…"

"Oh…Screamy just do Moan then."

Screamy sucked in a ton of air for the weaker version of Scream, then let out a ghastly wail that would compare to Cortez. As such, it only did 6 damage, and leaving the king with a minor 1 HP. Knuckles cried out in agony as Screamy frowned.

"That is disappointing…"

"We were so close to beating him!"

"This isn't over yet!" Luigi called. "Do your best to defend against him, and just leave the rest to me!"

Knuckles attempted a thumbs up until the blasted Chestnut King gnawed on his arm again. His spikes nearly stood out on end as he wailed, "YOWCH!"

"Now you know how I feel!" Blooey whined, recalling Red Fuzzy trying to devour him.

"Apparently the Chestnut King has a craving for echidna," mused Screamy. Knuckles gave his partner an odd look before bopping the Chestnut King several times on the head until he released at long last. Miraculously, Knuckles did not get poisoned this time.

"Grr…teach him a lesson, Thunder!"

Luigi ignored the used of his dubbed nickname and took a grip on his mallet.

. . .

Meanwhile, back in the 12th Floor, the drawer that Knuckles had thrown into the closet had unintentionally unlocked the closet door. Whatever was behind the door began to stir, as if it had received quite the blow sometime before.

"Nuh…Huck…Huckleberry?"

The being beyond the door felt around blindly in the dark for the handle, smiling light in success when she located it. Once she turned the knob, Princess Éclair came tumbling out of her imprisonment.

"Oh deary…" she moaned grabbing her forehead. Her fingers brushed against the compass piece on the tiara on her head, and she instantly gasped. "Oh my goodness! The Chestnut King! Luigi! Oh no!"

She scrambled off the ground in an instantly and quickly climbed up the floors through the tower. Subconsciously, she was worrying greatly about huckleberry, but not that she knew everything she wouldn't be able to waste a second. Upon returning to the 14th floor at record speed, and hearing battling above, Éclair feared she may have been too late.

"I must get to the roof, but how?"

She closed her eyes in an attempt to think quickly, accidentally activated the Marvelous Compass piece embedded in her crown. It's magic (and it's curse) began to take effect. Éclair froze as a brief vision shot through her mind, showing her how she reached the roof.

"Outstanding…" she breathed. Éclair hurried to a discolored brick in the wall and slammed her fist into it, Knuckles' style. If Team Luigi had taken note of this, it would've revealed a shortcut to the roof. Éclair sighed in relief, then rushed to make her way up before it was too late…

. . .

"This is it! I can win this! I'll risk it all on my next blow!" Luigi cried into the wind raging against them. Hammer held tightly in hand, rain pounding against his face, and everything lighting up in a brief flash of lightning, Luigi let out a battle cry and sprung at the Chestnut King. This was it. All or nothing. One shot. Luigi was mere inches away from striking the king with this last blow, his friends watching with baited breath-

"Please, Luigi, NO! I'm begging you!"

"Wha-? !"

Luigi was so confounded that HE slammed into the Chestnut King rather than his hammer. The rest of the team turned to gaze to the left to see Éclair emerge from the final hidden passage in the 14th floor, running in her heels to stop the present battle. Blooey, Jerry, Torque, and Hayzee all gasped and bowed while Screamy bounced up and down excitedly. Malon, Tails, Meta Knight, and Knuckles just dropped their jaws.

"Princess Éclair!" they squeaked at the same time upon gracing her presence. Éclair ignored them for the moment and stared pleadingly at Luigi, who was thrown on the ground from the panting Chestnut King. She bent down beside him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You must be Luigi…please, you must listen to me!"

Luigi blushed and his pupils shrunk. "Y-You must b-be Princess Éclair!"

"Yes, I am…and the Chestnut King is not your enemy, believe me!"

"But, fair Éclair…he kidnapped you and brought you here!" Luigi exclaimed. "I have tasked myself with the burden of saving you, thus making him my foe!"

Éclair shook her head. "You don't understand…the "evil" Chestnut King is actually my true love, made monstrous by Minister Crepe in a bid for my throne!"

Luigi was paralyzed, at both who was really behind everything and the fact this beast before him had already claimed Éclair's heart. "WHAT? TRUE LOVE?"

Everything seemed to spiral out of control as the partners fell over from shock, the team let out an awkward guffaw in unison, the Chestnut King suddenly froze, then collapsed, and a figure emerged out of the shadows. Éclair gritted her teeth and stood her ground as Luigi got up, now recognizing the statue on the 10th floor.

"I…we've been duped this entire time!" he cried, his voice going up a few pitches.

"So, the truth finally surfaces for everyone…" Crepe chuckled darkly, stepping toward the group, gripping his scepter and grinning wickedly. He turned to Luigi, who even though he tried to hide it, was dumbstruck, compass quivering in his hand. "Ha ha ha…you've done good, Luigi. You gathered the Marvelous Compass together, just as planned!"

"What does he mean by that?" Malon question, fear evident.

"It means Luigi was tricked!" Knuckles grunted while sweat dropping.

"You would know…" murmured Tails under his breath.

"This is so not the time for that!"

Minister Crepe, better known as the Luff King himself, continued to snicker in amusement at how well his scheme had been successful, finally after a thousand years. He held out the hand that wasn't griping the scepter and boomed, "The Marvelous Compass, please. Hand it over, and the Luff empire will rule again! Mwa ha!"

* * *

**Was it okay? Cuz I slightly despise the beginning...but MAN these next few chapters are PACKED with action! 8)**


	49. Of Eclairs and Crepes

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 48: Of Éclairs and Crepes

Luigi felt completely terrible _again_, and for reasons different than his breakdown before they took on the Chestnut King. He had been playing right into his enemy's trap the whole time! He did all his dirty work! And worse, he drug all his friends into such a mess…

"I was meant to marry the Chestnut King," Éclair started to explain, hugging the beast on the ground that was struggling to stay conscious as the curse slowly drifted away. "Meaning that I would become queen of the Waffle Kingdom, and he would rule by my side. But the Luff King, knowing that I was technically next in line to be holder of the Marvelous Compass, grew enraged, since he was still the king of the Luff Empire. So he turned my beloved fiancée into a beast and tricked everyone into believing he was the one to kidnap me…"

She hugged the beast tighter, Luigi still heartbroken and his crew all gazing sadly. The Luff King rolled his eyes and took another step closer to them, robe sweeping across the floor.

"Oh, how positively touching. Hear it from my side of the story, and you'll hear true troubles," he seethed. "The curse of the Marvelous Compass affected all the Luffs, as you know…and that very curse has kept me alive for 1,000 years! Just like that pitiful fool Cranberry…do you know how dreary and dreadful it is…being one of the last of your kind…for that long amount of time?"

Knuckles slightly frowned at that while Meta Knight softened up the tiniest bit.

Crepe continued, advancing a tad closer. "All I've been able to do for the last 1,000 years is plot, and plan, and think about how to bring my beloved people back…"

"_Lies!"_ Éclair hissed, voice coated with acid. "You were a terrible ruler to you people!"

"According to that brat Huckleberry! I only ever thought about what I could do to help bring them back, since the compass, whose existence is to be blamed on Cranberry, blew _them _all out of existence…it has the potential to bring them back, you know. But there was no way I could journey across the vast kingdom myself…I waited a long time for someone strong enough to accomplish such a task…"

He was right in front of Luigi now, and faked an encouraging smile. "My dear Luigi…do not think I chose you because you were weak and able to be easily manipulated…just the opposite! I chose you because you could be a great ally…one that would get as much glory, respect, and notability as I would!"

Tails and Malon exchanged glances as they noted that Luigi was getting increasing more upset.

"So I sent you out on a quest that showed you were more than just a sidekick, more than just a second banana, more that just "The Green Mario"…hasn't you helping me obtain my Marvelous Compass made you realize that?"

"_Your_ Marvelous Compass?" Éclair shouted, stepping back up into the debate. "It belongs to _me_! And you don't just want to revive the Luff Empire- you want to take over this world! The Luffs you would revive would continue to be corrupted, like demons roaming this planet!"

"Quiet girl…" Crepe warned, pointing his scepter at both her and the Chestnut King. "You'd be surprised as to what a second blast from this thing does…"

"I am not afraid."

"You should be…" he turned to Luigi once again. "Come now, hand the compass over to me already! The Luff Empire can be revived, and the world will flourish rather than despair!"

"D-Don't do it Luigi…" Malon trailed.

"Grr, Screamy despises the Luff King… he hurt Screamy and Screamy's best friend!" Screamy growled.

"That's already enough convincing for me," huffed Knuckles. "Hang on to that trinket Thunder…"

"I don't trust him," Meta Knight stately bluntly and darkly.

"He is so sinister…" Tails gulped, even backing away. "Keep the compass Luigi…"

"Chaos rains upon you and you question yourself…Your pals don't know what they're talking about!" Crepe continued, voice raising in ferocity. "Hand it to me already!"

Luigi brought the compass to his chest and hung his head. Perhaps…the Luff King was right after all? His team was literally on the edge as Crepe grinned devilishly. Éclair covered her mouth as she gasped, the Chestnut King groaned on the ground, only playing as a pawn in this whole scheme. Finally, Luigi looked back up into Luff King's eyes, his own full of determination.

"Not on your life."

His team broke out in cheers, Éclair clasping her hands together happily. However, Crepe's eyes lit up in a blaze of red as his staff pounded on the ground.

"FOOL! You have only lead yourself to your own demise! I will get that Compass from you even if I have to take it from your cold, lifeless hands!"

"Ugh," moaned Tails, sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"Love triumphs over anything…" Éclair protested.

**"I **triumph over EVERYTHING!"

The sky seemed to rumble and storm more than ever before as the Luff King raised his scepter into the sky, power surging into it and charging up. He broke out into a mad classical evil cackle as he began to transform before their very eyes. He grew to be ten feet tall, and took on a sort of gargoyle shape, only somewhat humanoid. His skin faded from a fair light-peach color to a musty dead-looking smoky grey. His beady red eyes remained intact, he obtained a huge set of bat-like wings, and his arms became thin and skinny and his finger obtaining long, sharp claw. It was gruesome.

"So…what do you have to say now! ?" he bellowed, voice nearly as loud as the thunder itself.

"…I definitely wasn't expecting him to turn into something like that," moaned Luigi. "Any one else?"

Everyone shook their heads. Crepe growled and aimed his scepter at them.

"Every royal Luff had the ability to transform into a monstrous and strong beast…I ended up with this one! And I don't even need my powerful form to take you pathetic worms out of commission!"

He summoned bolts of lightning to strike down, making contact with all ten of them. Éclair gave a deafening shriek that was quickly silenced by Crepe threatening to do the same to her.

"Ugh…that stings worse than lava burn…" Blooey moaned.

"…Ow…" murmured Meta Knight.

"Care for another helping?" The Luff King said casually, zapping them once more. All of them were shocked into the air, then fell harshly back onto the rooftop again. Tails twitched in pain while Malon laid sprawled out, afraid to move.

"OoOoOoOoOh…"

Luigi, barely holding himself t together, weakly tightened his grip on the compass and whispered, "Refresh Direction…"

Once again, the compass used its power to restore health to them, also allowing them to stand up and assume battle stances. Crepe was somewhat amused, but nowhere near in shock.

"So you believe you have mastered the Compass' powers, have you? Only a Luff such as myself can unlock its true potential!"

"But you forget we are the Children of Fate!" Luigi shot back, confidence somewhat shooting up again. "It's our destiny to defeat _you_, not the Chestnut King!"

"That oaf was nothing more than a mindless pawn of mine…it was just luck hat he happened to be love of Éclair…shame, though."

Éclair was burning with rage, but didn't dare move from the Chestnut King's side.

"And you can go ahead and attack…because it will be the last thing you'll ever do!"

_"Have at you!"_

Luigi gritted his teeth and Ultra Jumped at the mutated Luff King. When his foot made devastating impact…nothing happened.

"What?"

"Mwhaha! I told you daring to fight me would be the last thing you would ever do! I am invincible, and my attacks a far more superior to your meager jumps and hops!"

"Oh no…" moaned Luigi as he touched back down on the ground. Hayzee meekly tried out his Lullaby, but obviously that proved ineffective too. The Luff King cackled insanely before aiming his scepter at Luigi and Hayzee and blasting them across the roof.

"Woah!"

"LUIGI!" cried Malon and Éclair, watching him tumble in the air. Hayzee landed far before Luigi did, sliding and crashing into Tails. Luigi, meanwhile, kept falling until he was literally flung over the edge. Everyone screamed except Crepe, who laughed like it was a Saturday morning cartoon. Malon, in a rage of fury and sadness, and knowing there was nothing they could do for Luigi now, also jumped up and attempted to kick Crepe in the face. Despite doing any damage, it was still somewhat satisfying to clonk the guy in the face. Snarling, she landed back onto the ground, had Blooey jump into her grasp, then chucked him over to performed Blooper Blitz. It was still all a waste, however.

"Stupid, stupid girl!" Crepe growled, flying over and sweeping his scepter, knocking her legs from under his and sending Malon falling on Blooey. "Haven't you learned from that idiot plumber's downfall that striking me is futile? !"

"Luigi is not an idiot," she seethed, however turning upset as she glanced toward the edge of the tower. Crepe shook his head and scoffed.

"Pathetic. Is that the only way you can retort to me? How sad."

"Shut up!" Tails screamed, just as furious as Malon. He flew up, brought his wrench right across the transformed Luff King's face (it was quite the target) then slapped him twice with his tails. "Shut up! Shut up!"

He then ordered Torque to use Bash and Batter, which once again did squat.

"Why bother fighting the invincible? The inevitable? The undeniable?"

Tails refused to answer and scowled, awaiting Crepe's attack while gripping his wrench in his hand. Crepe flew over, arms crossed over his chest, before letting out a wail and striking Tails with both hands and casting him to the ground with great force. He then raised an eyebrow when Meta Knight just about roared as he approach, aiming to stab the fiend mercilessly. Crepe didn't even wait for Meta Knight finish- he grabbed Galaxia with his bare hand and chucked him to the ground. Jerry, in an attempt to avenge his partner, prepared to explode, but Crepe smacked him away with his scepter.

"So unfair…" grumbled the cherry bob-omb, now moaning on the floor.

"Do you even know true battling?" the Luff King roared, slamming his staff into the ground and causing something similar to a Chaos Blast to emerge. It was a dome of pure explosive power than engulfed Meta Knight and Jerry. Everyone witnessing had to shield their eyes from the brightness of the blast. Meta Knight and Jerry just groaned loudly and in pain.

"So…who dares to step up to me next?" Crepe grumbled.

Knuckles shot up (somehow tunneling through the roof…) , making sharp contact with Crepe's jaw. He then jabbed his fist into the monster's chest, but to Crepe it was merely like a massage. Knuckles continued to pointlessly punch, until Crepe finally had enough and returned the favor- pounding Knuckles back into the roof. At the sight of that, Screamy prepared to use his Scream (since simply increasing his attack would still do nothing) but the Luff King suddenly seized him and magically lifted him into midair.

"What? What is happening to Screamy? Screamy does not want to fly!"

"Ah, Screamy…it's been as long as it was with Huckleberry! Where have you been all these long, long years?" Crepe asked, and he could've fooled anyone into thinking he was sincere and serious if it wasn't for his twinge of annoyance peeking out of his expression.

"Screamy was with Cranberry…Cranberry was the closest thing to Huckleberry…" Screamy trailed. Éclair's eyes started to shimmer and the mention of the name, but she said nothing. "Plus Screamy has his own destiny- he must deliver something! But Screamy will NEVER tell you.."

Crepe shrugged. "I don't care what you 'have to deliver' anyway- I will kill you once again before you get the chance! I should've known you'd be lingering around Cranberry though…but the protection he possessed prevented me from stepping anywhere near there."

He released his magic mid-air grip on Screamy and allowed him to fall back to the ground, Knuckles hurrying to his side.

"You would've been fine Screamy if you hadn't tried to avenge Huckleberry…" Crepe said quietly, now being completely honest. "You got in the way of my rampage, and I had no choice but to remove such a thorn in my side. What I don't under stand is how you ended up corrupted, yet still somewhat sane?"

"Cranberry."

The Luff King narrowed his eyes, anger spiking once more. "Nevermind that, for that is the past…"

Power nearly blew up the scepter he so tightly possessed, causing the dark clouds overhead the swirl around under the influence of evil. What remained of Team Luigi laid just about defeated, scattered around and panting heavily.

"If only…we had listened to Luigi…" Malon sighed, eyes watering up. "We should've turned back…all we did was give the Luff King the chance to take over, and get Luigi and ourselves killed!"

"We must now pay for our mistakes…" Meta Knight wheezed.

"This majorly sucks…" huffed Knuckles, weakly pounding his fist into the ground.

"We're all to blame…" Tails sighed, not being able to stay conscious any longer.

"At least we can go out with each other…" Malon continued, smiling weakly. "But…Luigi…"

Éclair, seeing that all hope was truly lost, broke down into heavy sobs. The Chestnut King, still in beast form but decently humane again, wrapped his arms around Éclair, trying to console her the best he could. The Luff King ignored the sad atmosphere he was creating and prepared to fire one last super strong attack.

"When I'm finished blasting all of you out of existence, I'll fly down to the rugged coast of Hatesong tower, and pry the Marvelous Compass from that puny plumber's cold, life hands as I predicted! There's no way he could've survived such a fatal fall onto treacherous terrain! And there's no way you'll survive either! Prepare to meet your doom, because you end is near!"

"Not from…what I've seen…"

The Luff King froze in mid-attack to nearly exploded at the sound of the last voice he wanted to hear right now. Malon, Tails, Meta Knight, Knuckles, Blooey, Jerry, Torque, Hayzee, and Screamy all look up as a small figured emerged into existence, faded, but there none the less. Éclair ceased her sobs for a brief moment, only to choke them back up upon sight of the entering spirit.

"Who is that?" asked Hayzee curiously.

"Huckleberry!" cheered Screamy and Éclair, but growled Crepe. Crepe continued as he roared, "I thought I sent you back to the underworld, you annoying pest!"

Huckleberry shook his head. "My job…is not finished. I was tasked with making sure Éclair gets through these dark time, and that I will!"

"Huckleberry…" Éclair breathed, half relived he was okay, and half upset that this might be the last time she'd ever see him. Crepe continued to shout nasty things at the young Luff spirit, but Huckleberry ignored all his rants while he floated over to Éclair, his hands lightly glowing.

"I've seen the future…for one last time Éclair…" Huckleberry whispered, smiling despite feeling incredibly sad himself. "Everything will be okay…but perhaps you need to fully see that for yourself…"

They were nearly face to face now, the Chestnut King holding Éclair protectively but Éclair gently removing herself out of his grasp.

"Do you not hear me? !" Crepe roared. "All is lost! There is nothing you can do! I have won! Give up now!"

Huckleberry smirked. "He is wrong."

Within seconds later, Huckleberry aimed his power of Future Sight into Éclair's compass piece, restoring it to full power.

"When Cranberry broke the compass…" he explained, grunting and straining. "…part of its power was invested in me…which is why I am able to float around as a spirit…"

He smiled apologetically at Éclair and realization lit up her face.

"…but if you give it back…" she whispered, hardly able to choke it out. Huckleberry nodded solemnly. He let out a cry as all his power was unleashed, then gave the 7th piece of the compass one final tap before making it come to life once again. Éclair went silent and motionless as a vision of the near-future was revealed to her, one that determined the fate of the Waffle Kingdom. Huckleberry continued to grin as hope returned to Éclair.

"Thank you ever so much Huckleberry…" she said, completely honest. Huckleberry shrugged as he started to fade away.

"It was nothing Éclair…just part of the job…"

Éclair noticed him started to disappear and reached out to grab him.

"No it isn't Huckleberry! You just…you…NO!"

She held Huckleberry close to her, tears squeezing out of her eyes. What touched her even more and yet at the same time upset her even more was that Huckleberry hugged her back.

"You saw the future…no worries. Like I said…the Waffle Kingdom always had great rulers…"

Huckleberry gave her a wink, and Éclair felt Huckleberry slowly slip away. Moments later, she was only hugging herself and crying all over again. The Chestnut King patted her shoulder sympathetically, while Team Luigi looked on sadly from the ground. The Luff King just gave a sarcastic applause.

"Wonderful display. Too bad the chump's 'valiant' effort is simply worthless! Now, where was I-"

"How _**dare **_you!" Éclair shouted, standing up and angrily shaking her fists. "You are heartless, you know that? It's your fault the Luff Empire fell in the first place, if you weren't so power-hungry! And I think it's about time you get a taste of what you have brought upon everyone!"

"And how are you do to that, my fair Éclair…" Crepe inquired, obviously tired of all this stalling. "The only thing that could potentially stop me is the Marvelous Compass itself, but I've removed that little obstacle already-"

"I wouldn't be so sure…"

Everyone on the rooftop quickly turned as a white gloved hand swung itself onto the edge and pulled the body it belong to up. The still highly damaged fighters would've jumped for joy if they could've, while Éclair stopped crying instantly.

"LUIGI!" was the unified shouted as said plumber returned to sight.

"It's-a me, Luigi!"

"WHAT!" boomed the Luff King, frustration radiating off of him. "How have you survived? !"

"In fear, I quickly grabbed onto the edge of the roof and hung paralyzed for a few moments," Luigi said with a shrug. "It's a very useful tactic!"

"Grrrr…DIE!"

Crepe heaved a sphere of powerful magic toward Luigi, aiming to either knock him off the tower for real this time of make him explode on contact. Éclair and then team all gasped, but Luigi struck his trademark Compass pose and shouted, "MAGNETIC FIELD!"

The blue-purple dome of protection surrounded Luigi, harmlessly reflecting the attack back at Crepe AND turning the intended damage for Luigi into HP restoration! The Luff King cried out in irritation as Luigi was now 100% healed and hurrying over to his friends and Éclair.

"What happened?" he asked concerned, looking over each and everyone of them.

"We tried…to fight him…" Malon replied, smiling shakily. "But we can't hurt him…"

"Luigi…you're okay!" exclaimed Tails.

"I never thought I'd see the day, but I'm glad you're okay too, Luigi," Torque stated.

"Me too…" trailed Blooey and Jerry. Luigi grinned.

"Thanks…I just wish I could say the same about you guys…"

Éclair, now fully reassured, hurried over to Luigi.

"I may be able to help," she breathed quickly, pulled the hand Luigi held onto the compass with closer to her. Luigi naturally blushed as their hands made contact.

Even lying on the ground, in pain and dying, Malon had to stick her tongue out at that.

Princess Éclair removed her tiara, tore the final piece of the compass off, then put it in its rightful place in the center of the compass.

_"Fear the curse…but find your Éclair…"_

"Mwahahahaha!" bellowed Crepe, floating back over as the Marvelous Compass started glowing and emitting shockwaves of energy. "It looks like you've awakened the curse for me! You been even more of an idiot pawn that I could've ever predicted! You literally handed yourself death!"

"That is where you are wrong once again, Crepe!" Éclair shouted over the roar of the wind. "It has not secured their doom…it has confirmed their victory!"

"What do you yap about, girl-"

The Marvelous Compass was glowing brighter than ever before! The most bizarre things were beginning to take place…the Chestnut King was reverted back to his normal form (which included a face that could roast chestnut with its hotness!), the entire Team Luigi was revived, the 5 captains started floating in the air, and the Luff King was suddenly seized by the light.

"What in the-? How can this be? Arr…arr….AAARRRRRRGGGHHH!"

Crepe went still once the light from the compass made contact with him. He stayed that way, while screaming inhumanely, until a shattering noise was heard and the king slumped onto the ground, huffing and panting and obviously weakened.

And it was the complete opposite for Team Luigi.

"Is the curse going to curse us?" Tails questioned in a panic.

"Of course not!" Éclair laughed. "The Marvelous Compass only curses those of the Luff Empire…but for the Children of Fate, it has a different effect…"

Luigi felt the familiar surge of energy spiral up his arm- it meant he was learning a new move!

"We're getting upgraded!" Luigi cried, his voice going up several pitches in disbelief.

"Luigi, now Future Sight has been bestowed upon you! You can predict the Luff King's every move now! Plus Refresh Direction has been upgraded to Revitalize Control!" Éclair explained.

"We're getting upgraded? !" exclaimed Tails and Knuckles, since both knew very well what that had meant.

"Oh boy!" Malon screamed, as if she was receiving a very large birthday present.

"Let me guess…" Meta Knight mused. "Link told you all about upgrading too, didn't he?"

"Uh-huh!"

As if on cue, Malon's flute lifted itself out of her possession, glowing a slight golden color. It landed in Malon's hand, and she was sure what had just happened. She felt as though a new tune was stuck in her head, however…

"Your flute has been upgraded to handle the magic that comes with the Song of Light back in your home world…" Éclair told her. "…after two rounds of playing this song, your arrows will turn into Light Arrows!"

"Just like Princess Zelda!" Malon gaped, pulling out her bow and gazing in awe. "Whoa…"

"What's going to happen to me?" Meta Knight asked, cape draped mysteriously around him. Éclair winked at him.

"Wait and see!"

At that moment, Meta Knight felt a shock jet through Galaxia, but when he brought it up to check, it turned out to transform into Master, a sword similar to Galaxia but slightly stronger. At first, Meta Knight didn't see the big deal until Éclair revealed that it increased the power of Galaxia Darkness.

"Really?" she nodded. Meta Knight glanced over to the Luff King still trying to pull himself together. "Interesting…"

"And you two should already know what happens…" Éclair trailed, turning to Tails and Knuckles.

"How do you know so much?" Luigi asked, returned back on his feet and turning to the sweet princess. Éclair shrugged.

"When I was young, the Children of Fate always came up in my studies…I just never figured I'd be the princess to be victimized…"

"All right! Sweet!" Tails cried, his fur tinged into a brilliant yellow and glowing gold. "I've haven't been officially super since I was like, four!"

"It's been awhile, I must admit…" Knuckles mused, feeling the power surge through him also. The energy rushed through them, they changed color, and by the time Super Tails and Super Knuckles had finished transforming…

…Malon broke out into a hysterical fit.

Everyone, including Crepe, had to stop and stare.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Luigi asked, bewildered.

"Knuckles is **_pink!" _**Malon cried out, falling to the ground and laughing even harder. Everyone turned their attention back to Knuckles, whose fur had, as a matter of fact, faded into a light pink. Knuckles face palmed while receiving quite a few snickers. Eventually Malon composed herself enough to fight, but another glance at Knuckles sent her giggling again.

"It's a color- get over it!"

"Yeah, on a "manly, macho, good-looking echidna" like yourself!"

Knuckles grumbled something nasty under his breath as everyone returned to getting serious. The Luff King picked himself up off the ground, creeping up behind the unsuspecting Éclair and whacking her with the scepter of his. She collapsed toward the ground, but Charles (who is the Chestnut King) quickly rolled over and caught her stylishly.

"Wretched witch! You've weakened me…you've strengthen them…and now YOU'LL pay!"

"I don't think so, Malicious Croppy!"

The Luff King instantly whirled away from Éclair and Charles and hoped that by simply staring at Luigi, who was grinning broadly and spinning the Marvelous Compass on his finger, that he would spontaneously combust.

"Fool who has issues with vocabulary…it is pronounced…for the last time…Minister…**CREPE!"**

He turned completely at Team Luigi, and thus cueing the start of the final battle.

"This is it, you guys…for real this time…are you ready?" Luigi questioned to his team.

"You'd better believe it!" they chimed in unison.

"Finally….it's OUR time to shine…"

* * *

**8D**


	50. Luff King Crepe: True Finale

**Lol, I'm putting the Author's note up here because I don't want my own words ruining the effect of the ending. XD But, I really have to say...I don't think I could've asked for a more positive reaction from you guys. It's been great writing this story and always looking forward to what you think (and always bracing for the worst) and now it's finally winding down...of course, there's 3 more chapters after this one. :D**

* * *

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 49: Luff King Crepe: True Finale

"FUTURE SIGHT!" Luigi cried almost instantly, getting it out of the way. Crepe had already begun to dive in for an attack, but upon activating Future Sight, everything around Luigi froze to a stop and Crepe's next three moves were revealed to him-

First, he'd claw rapidly at Luigi. Second, he'd hit Malon with the scepter like he did to Éclair. Finally, he was going to launch a large blast at Tails. Everything unfroze, Luigi ducking swiftly under Crepe's move.

"What the- you used Future Sight!" the Luff King growled, floating back off the ground and scowling. Luigi gave a sheepish grin before crouching to Ultra Jump.

"Ha HA!"

Luigi rocketed upward then sent his extended leg straight into Crepe, doing 8 damage to the Luff King's 200 total HP. Luigi whistled in success while the monstrous Luff King roared in pain.

"This is…unacceptable! How DARE you hurt the great Luff King Crepe!"

"Oh great, he's moved onto insane dictator mode…"

Hayzee then went into action, twirled around and causing the whole tower top be rained down in petals- oh, and increase everyone's defense and attack by 2. The Luff King started to screech, which would have put Screamy to shame, then swooped out of the air toward Luigi, clawed hands extended.

"Not today!" Luigi practically sang, tossed his hammer upward, snagging it again, then battering Crepe back and doing 2 damage to him. Crepe was appalled.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" he protested. "I am to be the ultimate being! No one can hurt me, even under the influence of that stupid compass!"

"Trust me, ultimate beings are not invincible," groaned Tails.

"Everything has a weakness…" whispered Malon, beginning to play the Song of Light on her flute. Being a tune that already held so much power, to put her arrows at the maximum, Malon was going to have to play the song twice. The good part about it, at least, was that it lowered the Luff King's defense even lower, but just for Blooey's attack only.

"Blooper Blitz again?" Malon asked, holding out her hand.

"Oh yeah!"

Malon heaved Blooey up, then spun around and chucked him toward Crepe. His Blooper Blitz did a few points more than the original damage, doing 10! When Blooey returned, he and Malon shared a high five. Crepe, however, did not share in their amusement.

"Malon! Duck! DUCK!" Luigi cried, waving his arms frantically. Malon asked no questions and ducked to the ground, Crepe scepter sweeping right over her head. He shouted several angry things to the sky as Malon gave Luigi a silent look of gratitude.

"Now this IS gonna hurt, JERK!" exclaimed Tails, flying out of nowhere and -once again- clonking the Luff King in the head with his wrench, taking 8 away from his HP. He then did a quick spin in the air, forcing Hayzee to call out, "STYLISH!" Crepe was knocked senseless, and Torque didn't help his cause with a super-strong Bash and Batter, doing a massive 12!

"I refuse to allow you to get away with this!" exhausted Crepe, circling his scepter over his head and conjuring up a blast. Tails and Torque gulped, knowing there was no way to guard against that.

"Magnetic Field!" Luigi squeaked in the spur of the moment, jetting the compass forward and allowing it to create protection over Tails. The Luff King didn't notice the new shield over Tails and Torque and fired his blast…only to have it bounce off the shield and come slamming back into him for 3 damage.

"Cool!" cheered Tails.

"Did you forget you were Super, Tails?" Torque questioned. Tails blushed and grinned sheepishly.

"Heh heh, yeah…I'm not really used to such power! …plus I like whacking things with my wrench!"

"It IS fun to watch!"

"Watch- I'll used my super abilities next time!"

"Our attack is down again…" grumbled Meta Knight.

"It never lasts long enough to reach the strong people," Knuckles complained. "We could do a boatload of damage!"

"Oh, stop whining!" scoffed Malon. Meta Knight gave her a look before reeling Master back, charging up its power, then dashing at the Luff King with his caped spread out wide.

"Galaxia…DARKNESS!"

The crew was suddenly enveloped in pure darkness, the only thing that could be seen was the gold sheen of the sword Meta Knight possessed. Crepe's wail could be heard echoing beyond Hatesong town, and when sight returned to everyone, Meta Knight brought his sword down on the Luff King one final time for a total of 10.

"Take THAT…" he huffed, returned back to the ground, somewhat exhausted. Jerry then jumped to his side, then landed in Meta Knight's palm. He gave the bob-omb a small toss before making contact with Crepe's chest, Jerry's Bomb taking away 7. The Luff King was currently left with 140 HP.

"Wow…he's tough…" Meta Knight panted.

"I suppose Luigi wasn't able to predict what attack Crepe was going to use on us, right?" Jerry gulped.

"Future Sight!"

Grateful that the upgrade had also given Luigi the ability to use a compass move out of turn, Luigi -to some degree- had stopped time, then had what was about to happen play in front of him. He first saw Crepe formed energy balls in his palms, then chuck then at Meta Knight. It then flashed to Crepe slamming both fists down on Knuckles' head. For a third, it showed Crepe going in to bite Luigi. As the plumber cringed at the last scene, time began to move again. Snapping back to reality, Luigi recalled what was about to happen to Meta Knight.

"Use your sword to reflect!" Luigi called to him. Meta Knight made the mistake of turning toward Luigi, resulting in getting hit with one ball of glowing energy. Scowled, Meta Knight turned back around quick enough to deflect the rest of the oncoming projectiles. The Luff King glared darkly at Luigi- all because of him, he could hardly land a blow!

"My turn!" cried the -pink- Super Knuckles, circling the Luff King at a speed that would par-up with Sonic's. "Just try and stop me!"

"Why you little-"

"Now he sounds like Eggman!" laughed Tails.

Knuckles flew around the Luff King, making a sparking pink afterimage of where he once was, showing him for a brief second striking the king with his powerful punches. After several strikes and quite a few roars, Knuckles at last backed off by giving the king a kick and becoming content with doing 9 damage.

"If only I hadn't slipped up during that one punch to his jaw…" Knuckles murmured, gliding back to his spot.

"The power of pink!" burst out Malon, starting up another laughing it. Knuckles grumpily turned away and started grumbling again.

"Screamy's turn! Screamy's turn!"

The Luff King stared down at Screamy and scoffed.

"And what power did you happen to obtain, Screamy?" he sighed, in his own little version of 'casual conversation'.

"EEEEEEYYYYYAAAHHH!"

"Gah! Stops my heart every time!" gasped Hayzee.

"Makes my ears rings…" trailed Blooey.

"Makes mine explode!" complained Tails.

Crepe grabbed his own ears and let out a sickening howl. That move alone cost him another 8 points of HP, and now that he had a splitting head ache to top it all off, he was going to take it all out on Knuckles. Luigi obviously knew what was coming and tried to help.

"He's going to bop you on the head Knuckles!"

Knuckles quickly veered to the left, hoping the steer out of Crepe's way, but instead flying straight into Crepe's line of fire and getting bashed right out of the air. Knuckles nearly made a crater in the roof.

"Thanks Thunder…" Knuckles groaned on the ground. Luigi grinned sheepishly.

"You can't say I didn't try…"

"You will all _die_ like trees in the cold of winter!" roared Crepe, grabbing his head and going on the prowl.

"That's comforting…" Luigi then pulled out his compass once more and yelled, "Frozen North!"

The cold in rushed in from a northerly direction, enveloping the Luff King in it's frozen clutches. It started to trap the fiend in a frozen block of ice, but Crepe laughed manically broke it like glass. Luigi's jaw went slack.

"Say wha-"

"MAGGOT! Mere ice cannot incase ME!"

"Great."

Hayzee then started to cry, pouring Dayzee Tears onto the Luff King, the foreign liquid like acid on his skin, and taking away 8 more HP.

"Augh! It burns! ARGH!"

"Ha, and they said crying would always help! …well it DOES!"

Seething with rage, and a bit of agony, the Luff King swooped out of the sky and charged dead ahead at Luigi, fangs bared and looking ready to rip Luigi's arm clean off. Luigi screamed and instinctively brought up his hammer, smacking the face meant to gnaw on him back where it had flown from (and doing 1 point of damage).

"….whew…"

"Once more of this…" Malon thought to herself as she brought her flute up to her mouth and began to play the Song of Light. It once again lowered Crepe's attack and defense, bit this time, it would extend into Meta Knight's turn, which was quite handy. She then picked Blooey up and threw him, Torpedoing the Luff King and taking 7 more HP away from him.

"Wait…you didn't Future Sight for me!" Malon exclaimed just as Luigi opened his mouth to say something, but Crepe beat everyone to the punch as he cast a blast of magic at Malon, knocking her to the ground.

"Mwahahaha…you can't keep me at bay forever!" he boomed.

"We'll keep you at bay as long as we nee to!" Tails shouted. "It certainly won't take forever to beat a chump like you!"

Luigi, feeling extremely bad that he didn't use Future Sight on Malon, called forth it's power once again, and froze everything while Tails was in mid-attack.

"This is still cool…"

The future was projected to Luigi yet another time, filling Luigi with its knowledge of what was to come.

"…_and_ take THIS!" Tails finished, beginning to move again. Unlike Knuckles, he flew straight at Crepe, socking him with great force into the stomach and plowing the wind out of him.

"NARGH!"

"Sweet!" exclaimed Tails in a breath of disbelief. He then continued his onslaught by slapping the Luff King with his tails a few times, then settling with doing 9 damage. Tails backed off as Torque ran in to do Screw Up, jabbing Crepe harshly with his torque for 7 damage.

"He's under 100 HP!" announced Blooey.

"All right!" cheered Luigi. He then froze. "Oh man- TAILS!"

"Whut-YIP!"

The Luff King snagged Tails' tails, in a similar way to what Macho Max had done. Malon pushed herself off the ground at long last and shrieked.

"Tails! Not again!"

"Augh! Lemme go!" Tails cried, fighting to get free. Torque attempted to help, but with Crepe floating three feet off the ground, he couldn't quite reach to do ANYTHING. Crepe held Tails up, snorting in his face, then throwing him like a rag, aiming to go over the edge of the tower.

"TAILS!" screamed Malon, Meta Knight, and Knuckles. Luigi literally sprung into action.

"Tails! What goes around comes around!" he called, jumping toward the young fox.

"What is Luigi going on about?" questioned Torque. Tails shook off the pain from his tails getting squeezed again and gave Luigi a thumbs up. Luigi intercepted Tails, grabbing his arm, then spinning around and chucking Tails right back at Crepe, one of his fists extended. Super Tails slammed into Crepe again, although only doing 3 damage this time around.

"All right Tails!" Luigi exclaimed, let out a small laugh of enthusiasm upon landing back on his feet. Tails grinned back then flew to his spot, out of reach of Crepe.

"I may be half-drained of my energy…but I am still far too strong for you to defeat me! Hahahahaha!" cackled the Luff King. He got into some sort of fetal position, then unleashed an aura-like flame for protection. He sneered at Meta Knight, trying to dive in for another close-range sword attack, but it turns out this was worthless too.

"You can't keep that stupid flame up forever!" Meta Knight hissed as Jerry tried his luck. Before he had the chance to even explode, Crepe enlarged the flames even more, repelling Jerry from even getting close.

"What in this world?" Jerry yelped as he was pushed back by the flaming force.

"You can't even get close to me now!" heckled Crepe, beginning to conjure up another blast of power.

"He's going to blast you again Meta Knight, look out!" Luigi informed his teammate quickly. Meta Knight luckily didn't bother to turn to look at Luigi and instead super guarded the Luff King's attack by battering the blast of magic right back at him- for 2 damage. The king recoiled, then glared daggers at a supposedly smirking Meta Knight.

"Whatever…it's not like your pink friend next to you can get close enough to beat me senseless…" he seethed darkly under his breath. Knuckles had heard and went berserk while Malon lightly snickered.

"Don't under estimate me," Knuckles growled, shaking with anger.

"Well what can _you_ possibly do to _me_?"

"This," Knuckles replied simply, floating high above everyone while reeling his fists far behind his head. Then, mere moments later, he struck down onto the tower like a bolt of lighting, fists crashing straight into the ground. A massive shockwave emitted out and the tower top itself arose in huge waves, propelling outwards and slamming into Crepe for 9 damage.

"How's that?" Knuckles gloated, returning to his spot with his arms folded smugly.

"Good thinking Knuckles!" Screamy instantly cheered.

"I know you think I did great Screamy…what about anyone else?"

"You're still pink," Malon said confidently as everyone else gave Knuckles thumbs up and praise, despite being shaken from his attack.

"No, Screamy says good thinking because Screamy realizes we must strike without striking!"

"What does tha-"

"EEEEEEYYYAAAHHHHII!"

"ARGH!"

"I think that's painful all across the board!" shouted Tails with an expression that matched the Luff King's.

"The pain I cast upon you Screamy will be increased ten-fold!" came the enraged howl.

"Screamy just screams. Screamy sees no big deal."

"Do a barrel roll!" wailed Luigi. Knuckles and Screamy exchanged glances before ducking down and rolling forward, right under the swing of the scepter. Crepe hollered at yet another miss of his target and started shaking said scepter around, until Luigi jumped up, grabbed the staff, then thumped the Luff King on the head with his own weapon.

"WHAT! ?"

"C'mon- you've got special powers, you don't need to whack people with this silly stick!" Luigi teased, even daring to swing it in his face. Crepe lunged to get it back, but Luigi carelessly tossed it over his shoulder and sent it to its doom. The Luff King could just imagine the shatter of his precious weapon as it fell helplessly onto the sharp, jagged rocks surrounding the tower and falling into the roaring water.

"You inane **_buffoon!" _**Crepe thunderous deeply from the bottom of his lungs.

"Oh boo-hoo," scoffed Hayzee. "It's so sad, I'm crying!"

He really did cry, burning Crepe with his somewhat highly acidic tears of attack, and bringing the Luff King's total HP down to 73. Hayzee grinned broadly while Crepe tending to the parts of him effected by the burning. Although he wasn't poisoned, it still stung! Crepe wasn't even going to bother with the witty banter and summoned two bolts of lightning to strike down on Luigi and Hayzee, paralyzing them both.

"All right jerk…" Malon began, raising her bow armed with a glistening Light Arrow. "Now you'll know how much of a punch I pack!"

"What, no pretty little song?"

Malon smirked. "Nope."

With a sparkling zing, Malon's fully charged Light Arrow shot through the air, deadly aimed at the Luff King.

Apparently being impaled with light is not a fun feeling.

_"AAAAARRRGGGGGHHH!"_

"He should be simply grateful your aim was slightly off and he got hit in the arm!" snickered Knuckles. Malon sent him a glare.

"My AIM was off? ! I totally MEANT to do that, Pinky!"

"All right, you know what-"

"BLOOPER BLITZ!"

The combined interruption came from Malon and Blooey, Malon tossing her partner toward the boss. Blooey started spinning around, each tentacle slapping Crepe sharply, as if being burned with tears and shot by a very powerful arrow weren't enough. Blooey got away with taking away 9 of the king's HP before hurrying back to Malon.

"You didn't Future Sight me again, did you?" Malon asked Luigi who was gaping at yet another act of his inattention.

"Um…no…"

_**"DIE!"**_

The Luff King snarled and lunged at Malon, mouth wide open to take a snap at her. Unsure of how to block or of what to do in general, Malon stood , screamed, and braced for impact, which may not have been the smartest thing…

…until a second force collided into her and sent her to the ground, Crepe swooping just over their heads and hitting nothing.

"I don't need Future Sight to protect you," Luigi said with a wink. "…but holy crow, he looked like he was getting ready to rip your head off with his teeth!"

"Y-Yeah…"

"_OoOoOoOoOoh…"_ came from Knuckles, Meta Knight, Tails (since they were doing it), and even Blooey and Torque. Luigi scrambled away as Malon threatened to hit them with seven Light Arrows.

"I'd rather be pink than-" started Knuckles.

"Don't you even DARE think about finishing that!"

Crepe lashed out again with another verbal attack. "I'm going to put you in the ground!"

Tails then lashed out with a physical one- this one being Tails' own hammer to the spot where Malon's arrow had been shot. The Luff King let out a squall- that alone took away 9 more HP! Tails beamed, his fiery aura seeming to brighten with his confidence. However, as a last resort, the Luff King sang a weird chant out of turn, then raised his defense by one as Torque ran in to perform Screw Up. He ended up only doing 5, and bringing the Luff King down to 50 HP.

"Nooooo…you've…weakened my form too much…" Crepe wheezed, slowly dropping to the ground, on his hands and knees.. "Graaaah…"

"Did we beat him?" Jerry asked innocently. Meta Knight shook his head.

"Of course not…but something does appear to be happening."

"He's weakening!" pointed out Tails, still floating a few feet off the ground.

"Is that a good thing?" inquired Malon.

"I'd think so if he's _weakening_," grumbled Knuckles.

"What matters is the battle isn't over…" Luigi trailed. They all watched as Crepe morphed out of his gargoyle-demon form and back to his semi-humanoid shape with the silky blue robe. Plus he was now scepter less.

"If you think…that me being downgraded…is going to give you fools a better shot…you are wrong!"

"Well, we seemed to be kicking your butt pretty well while you _were _upgraded, so I think that thought would be pretty justified," chuckled Luigi.

"Burn!" chirped Blooey, Jerry, and Torque.

"Hrrr…"

Luigi noticed out of the corner of his eyes that he was charging up some dark flames in his hands, glaring at Tails. The plumber gasped then charged the compass forward.

"FUTURE SIGHT!"

"Darn _yo_-" Crepe began to say until everything froze to a halt again. A vision of Crepe summoning up a wall of painful looking purple fire at Tails played out, followed by one of striking Meta Knight down with lightning and Knuckles getting trapped in a tornado he whipped up.

"He seems to be somewhat elemental in this form…" Luigi mused as things started to move again.

_"-u _imbecile!" finished Crepe, finishing up summoning the wall of purple fire.

"Tails, fly around it!"

"Hu- Right!"

Tails grabbed Torque and veered sharply to the right, just barely having the purple flames miss his tails. Tails, who had been holding his breath, let out a sigh of relief. Crepe scowled once again, but said nothing as Meta Knight swooped over him to dealt another round of Galaxia Darkness.

"Know my power…"

Everything went dark, then rapid slashes were heard seconds later, along with disturbing snarls from Crepe.

"You will all die here!" he thundered, clutching his side. Meta Knight rolled his eyes as he held his sword over his head.

"Hmph. Victory…is my destiny."

He then brought his sword down onto the Luff King, doing a total of 10 damage to him.

"Ooh, that's GOTTA hurt!" cringed Hayzee, even recoiling from the sight.

"Good job Meta Knight!" everyone instantly cried. Knuckles' jaw dropped.

"Oh come _on!"_

Everyone grinned sheepishly at a now grumpy (and still pink) Knuckles as Jerry let out a battle cry before unleashing a Mega Bomb. The Luff King threw up his arms to shield himself, but he suffered 7 more points worth of damage anyway.

"What's he going to do Luigi?" Meta Knight asked quickly.

"LIGHTNING!" shouted both Luigi and Crepe, Crepe beating Luigi to the punch and zapping Meta Knight and Jerry. Luigi's face fell.

"Man…even knowing his attacks, I'm not being very helpful…"

"You're trying," Malon encouraged, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, we've been able to avoid quite a few hits with your help!"

"We'd have avoided everything that crazy king throws at us if I was using this ability a lot smarter…" Luigi sighed.

"Just be glad you have it!"

"All right…but-"

"No buts."

Returning the fight, Knuckles laughed as he soared into Crepe, veering upwards for a nasty uppercut that did 8 damage. A simple attack that packed a wallop! The Luff King couldn't describe how infuriated he was- he was at 30 HP now! Screamy giggled to himself as he went intangible and flew into Crepe, Possessing him.

"Get out of me Screamy!" he screeched, clawing at his chest to try and somehow remove Screamy, even though he was just hurting himself even more. "GET OUT!"

"Screamy says no!"

The Luff King flailed about in a blind rage trying to remove Screamy, but Screamy got the upper hand and forced Crepe to punch him, which several of the heroes found somewhat amusing. Knuckles even dared to fly over and ask, "Want me to get him out for you?"

Then he slammed the side of his fist into Crepe's back, effectively knocking Screamy out and bringing the Luff King's HP down to 22.

"Tornado, Knuckles! LOOK OUT!"

"Luigi hasn't been wrong before, mwahahaha…" the Luff King cackled as he cast his hand out and let loose a furious funnel of wind that quickly grew into a mini tornado. Knuckles avoided it without a problem, but Screamy got caught up in the wind and started getting whipped around.

"Whoa…Screamy's getting dizzy!"

The Luff King then snapped his fingers, making the tornado disappear and sending Screamy flying. Knuckles rushed over and caught Screamy like an intercepted (American) football.

"You okay Screamy?"

"But of course! Screamy is just suddenly very dizzy…"

Crepe chuckled under his breath, and continued to do so until a shout of "EASTERN WIND!" made his ears ring. And mind you they were still sensitive from all of Screamy's screaming. However, the Luff king now had to dealt with the suddenly wind burn that was putting him in excruciating pain right now and halving 7 HP away from him. These weak fools…they were whittling him down! Dear sweet tarts above, he only had 15 HP to support him now! Luigi perked up a bit, knowing they were breaking him down, as Hayzee performed Petal Dance to raise everyone's attack and defense once more…and now Luigi was a bit miffed that he hadn't even bother to Future Sight for himself.

Especially since the Luff King literally just breathed fire and scorched Luigi.

"Oh _snap!"_ exclaimed Knuckles as everyone else widened their eyes at the charred plumber.

"Well, I ironically got my revenge…" Blooey trailed nervously.

"That was so uncalled for no one is even going to bother hitting you!" Malon said sharply as she ran over to Luigi along with everyone else. "Are you okay Luigi?"

"Urgh…yeah…I'm fine…" he wheezed, wincing slightly. "But listen…if we hit him with a super-strong attack…when can do him in for good!"

"The time has come! The time to show our power!" Meta Knight agreed.

"What can we possibly do?" questioned Tails. The corners of Luigi's mouth turned upwards.

"…LMTMK."

"LMTMK?" "Oh no…" "You've gotta be kidding." "What kind of a name IS that? How would you say that?"

Malon's face lit up. "I get it! It's like LMKSS for Team Mario! We combine all our attacks into one final blow!"

"Exactly!" Luigi exclaimed. "So, you guys up for this?"

"You bet!" "But of course." "Let's do it!" "Eh, why not?"

"Sweet. Here we go! Team Luigi time!"

"You guys can do it!" cheered Blooey, Jerry, Torque, Hayzee, and Screamy as the five turned to have a stare down with Crepe.

"It ends here, Luff king. You plans of reigning with terror are over!" Luigi announced.

"I can keep you at bay as long as I need to…" he huffed back, looking weak, but menacing all the same.

"Oh really?" Luigi smirked. "Start it off, Tails and Meta Knight."

"Right!" both yelled as they bolted.

"What-"

BAM!

Tails went on a tail-slapping rampage while Meta Knight hacked madly with his sword, making a bit of a weak spot on his chest. They then veered out of the way as Knuckles flew right down the middle with a fist extended, right into the weak point Tails and Meta Knight had created. The Luff King wailed out in pure agony, and it got worse as Malon aimed a terrifying Light Arrow at the same spot.

"Buh-bye!" she said snarkily, firing the arrow right on target.

"Blast you all!" Crepe bellowed, doubling over and pounding his fists into the ground angrily.

"Ah ah ah! Not over yet!" Luigi called as he fell out of the sky, hands flickering with lightning of his own, jumping onto Crepe, grabbing his neck and sending (and shocking) him all the way to the ground. Flipping back out of the way, Luigi realized that 1 HP still lingered with the King.

Thinking fast, he called for Knuckles. "Hey! Knuckles! Your Gold Bar!"

"What about it?" asked both Knuckles and Malon in disbelief.

"Just toss it to me!"

"Uh, okay!"

Knuckles pulled out the Gold Bar and gave it to Luigi as Crepe silently started to whisper a healing spell.

"Luigi, whatever you're doing, hurry!" cried Tails and Malon.

Luigi took careful aim before yelling, "_Who's the loser now?_ !"

He chucked the bar at Crepe, the dense block hitting him square in the head and effectively knocking him out. Lifeless, the king slumped completely onto the ground. He then slowly morphed into a ghost-like form, similar to Huckleberry, as he went to go his fellow Luff people, a thousand years way too late…and everyone could've sworn that the hate songs in the wind had finally whistled to an end.

Everyone stood speechless for a long time. It wasn't until Knuckles snickered, "Hey, the Gold Bar came in handy after all!" and Malon retorted with a "Wow, Knuckles." that everyone had finally absorbed what had just happened.

"H-Hey…we won!" Luigi laughed in disbelief. "We beat the Luff King! WE DID IT!"

"ALL RIGHT!" everyone shouted in a cheer of unison, all so happy that they piled into a huge group hug- with Malon pulling in Knuckles and Meta Knight regardless of how much they protested.

"I defeated my first final boss ever!" Malon cried happily, hugging all her friends especially tight. "And we all did it together!"

"I was gonna say that…" complained Tails with his bright-as-a-sun smile.

"That was awesome! What a rush of adrenaline! Woo!" Jerry hurrahed, hopping everywhere excitedly. Meta Knight had to hold him still! In the midst of their celebration, the Marvelous Compass emitted another powerful shockwave, which instantly drained everyone of their upgrade- Malon's arrows went back to normal, Tails and Knuckles fell onto the ground since their ability to float was taken away, Meta knight's sword turned back into Galaxia, and Luigi lost the ability to use Future Sight.

"Oof! Urh…now I feel all weak and limp!" Tails whined, turning to Knuckles who was looking a bit discombobulated himself. "Is that supposta happen?"

"Erm sorta…depends on how much experience you have and how hard you fought."

"We all fought great!" laughed Malon, throwing her arms around both of their shoulders.

"I am pretty impressed with our work myself!" added Meta Knight.

"What do you think, Thunder? Aren't'cha happy?" Knuckles asked Luigi, causing everyone, including the partners that were currently dancing around in a happy circle, to turn and await his opinion. Luigi was currently staring into the compass, at his own face slightly reflecting off the 7 united pieces of the compass. He finally looked up and genuinely smiled.

"We did it."

. . .

"Revitalize Control!" Luigi had called out moments later, awaking Éclair out of her unconscious state and fully healing Charles the Chestnut King.

…and now, Team Luigi was surrounding Princess Éclair and her fiancé while they held hands and rejoiced. Luigi noticed the formal action and winced internally, but he was too happy to care about the thought of Éclair already being taken.

"From the very bottom of my heart, I greatly thank all of you…" Éclair explained, eyes shining with happiness. "I could have never asked anyone to brave such dangers just for me and my kingdom…I am unable to thank you enough."

"Ah, it was no big deal," Luigi shrugged, receiving playful hits on the shoulder. "So anyway Princess, what are and your…_soon to be husband_…going to do now?"

"Get married of course!" Charles laughed, now with an arm around Éclair that made Luigi somewhat twitch. "If we push a few things around, we should be able to get this thing done on time!"

"I would love to invited all of you to attend…but I am prohibited from allowing any one from outside the Waffle Kingdom to attend," Éclair sighed. "It was one of Minister Crepe's rules, and despite the fact he is gone, I cannot change them until I become Queen…"

"If it's all the same, Princes Éclair…" Jerry spoke up, stepping forward. "May we, the partners, attend the wedding in their place?"

Éclair smiled. "But of course! You assisted them in saving me, did you not? I'd be just as honored to have you attend!"

"All right! We're going to the princess' wedding!" blared Blooey, slapping Torque a high five.

"Blooey…" Malon sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry Éclair…"

"Oh, it's no problem! I'd be fairly excited too!" laughed Éclair.

"Hmmm…" Screamy pondered, thinking to himself. Knuckles noticed him in deep thought.

"Hey, what'cha thinkin' about Screams?"

"Screamy is thinking about the thing Screamy must deliver…it is nearly time for that time to come!"

"Do you even know what you are supposed to deliver, Screamy?" Luigi asked. Screamy nodded eagerly.

"Yup yup! Screamy will say when the time comes. No need to be of the worrying!"

"Whatever you say, Screamy…"

Éclair snuggled into the Chestnut King's hug that he had given (making Luigi turn away and gag and receive a glare from Malon) as the clouds over Hatesong Tower were parted by the setting sun's luminous rays. It was a sign of peace, as everyone knew, and it also meant the end of a long journey. The harsh rain and hateful winds had turned into a faint rainbow overhead and a light, calming breeze.

"I don't know about the rest of you guys…" Meta Knight started, stretching out a little, but I think it's time we all got out of here, wouldn't you say?"

Luigi nodded. "Yeah, no point in stick in this place any longer…even though it's "Lovesong" Tower now, it still gives me shivers. Are you in need of a ride, Éclair and…_Charles?"_

"Oh no- Charles can teleport!" Éclair informed them all. "…we were going to stay and watch this scene a little longer, if that's all right?"

Luigi practically bowed. "Oh, of COURSE! I was just asking, was all. You and your…_king_…take all the time you need! No worries! We'll, uh, head out now…let's go gang!"

"Are endings always like this?" Malon asked as Team Luigi waved to Éclair and Charles ( the partners promising that they'd be at the wedding) and headed for the passage Éclair had climbed through.

"Every ending is unique and special…but I must say, this one is pretty neat!" Tails beamed.

Knuckles shrugged. "Meh, it's average."

"Average? A group of nearly nobodies just stopped a 1,000 year old king from taking over everything! We did fantastic, especially since I had almost no hope…" Luigi trailed.

"There's always hope…" Malon hummed to herself, going a ways ahead of the gang to head down into the 14th floor of the tower.

"…well, it was my Gold Bar that saved day. I'll always remember that!"

"I threw it!"

"I witnessed it!"

"Oh boy…"

As they left, Éclair watching had heard Malon's latest statement and unintentionally squeezed Charles hand a little tighter. Charles took note of that and turned to ask her what was up.

"I was just…wondering whatever happened to Huckleberry…I…" she stammered, unsure of how to put her words together. "He was always there for me in my time of need, and he gave up his existence _just_ to make sure I was safe…you want to know the vision he showed me?"

"Sure, what was it?"

"The first was of Luigi returning..."

"Was there another?"

Eclair nodded. "...Us, standing on top of this tower watching this beautiful scene…"

Charles smiled and brought Éclair closer. "I bet Huckleberry is smiling down right now."

"Yeah, so do I…"

Moments after the pair went silent, Éclair could've sworn she heard a childish laugh waver along the light wind. She glanced over her shoulder, for a small moment thinking it too good to be true, but nothing was there.

"Oh well…he's gone…but I will never forget him…"

. . .

Off to the side, the faint image of Huckleberry watched Éclair, her hair flowing in the breeze and the gold rays of the sun seeming to make it sparkle.

_"Éclair…you truly amuse me…"_

Two tears fell from his eyes as he faded completely from existence, set off to rejoin his beloved brother after a long 1,000 years. The way it was supposed to be.


	51. Just Looking Back

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 50: Just Looking Back

"I still can't get over that we were invited to the highest party in the land- the princess' very own wedding!" exclaimed Torque as he and the other partners were in a buzz over it all. They had returned back to the ship, where they quickly -and all at once- told Bosco the story of their final battle, and now they were winding down on the way back to the Waffle Kingdom.

"It will be so distinguished!" rambled Hayzee, only able to imagine it all now. "I bet it will be themed with silver and gold, and have a huge cake with waffle cones and ice cream on the side…and then maybe I could produce a play!"

"Do you make a play about everything you've experienced?" Jerry questioned. "If I were you, I'd just combine all your adventures into one huge production!"

A light bulb went off in Hayzee's mind. "Excellent idea Jerry! Yeah…I'll call the play…Paper Mario!"

Luigi nearly doubled-over out of his chair. "What? !"

Hayzee struck a pose. "This is one of my better ideas! I'll do a play based on Mario's adventures, then I'll become so popular, my fame will literally push Ray-Z out the door!"

"That is _so_ not what I meant," grumbled Jerry.

"And if the ratings really skyrocket, then I'll do a spin off called Paper Luigi! Yes…"

Luigi made a face. "Oh great, glad to see I at least get the spin-off…"

Malon laughed and elbowed Luigi. "Oh, perk up! We're supposed to be celebrating and throwing a party or something! Especially since it's US we're talking about!"

"You're right, you're right…" he leaned back in his seat and placed his hands behind his head. "Man…looking back, we've been through a TON of stuff!"

"Probably one of the most action-filled times of my life!" Malon threw in, shaking her head.

"I had fun!" Tails chirped. "I'd even happily do it all over again! Remember how I took out Bomb Beard when we were first heading to Circuit Break Island?"

"Yeah! And then I remember helping Luigi escape out of Rumblebump Volcano!" Malon laughed.

"I enjoying recalling upon where I threatened Tayzee- twice," Meta Knight smirked.

"Whatever floats your boat…"

"Hmph!" grunted Knuckles, folding his arms and glaring at the ground. "I wasn't around to share such vivid memories…" he glanced at Malon. "And you better not being up that "I stole the map" or something!"

Malon waved her hand. "Nah…I was actually going to say that it was your Gold Bar that truly saved the day. Just don't let it all go to your head!"

"…still doesn't change the fact I wasn't around very much…"

"So you were a late arrival…" Meta Knight trailed, shrugging. "…you're just as much a part of this team as the rest of us, you know."

Luigi nodded. "Meta Knight tells the truth, Knux…"

"Er, I, uh…um…thanks?"

"THIS CALLS FOR GRILLED CHEESE!" Blooey suddenly belted out, cuing Jerry to fetch the cheese, Torque the bread, and Hayzee some sort of pan. Luigi face palmed while the rest of the team burst out laughing.

"They'll always love that grilled cheese, eh?" Bosco chuckled.

Tails tugged on Malon's sleeve. "Hey, I remembered! You owe me juice!"

Malon blinked, sighed then went to get Tails a cup of juice (which he cheered ecstatically for). Meanwhile the partners started up on the wedding again.

"Oh, I hope we get front row seats!" Hayzee squealed.

"I want first dibs on that cake!" Jerry said while simply thinking about it.

"Where'd did Screamy go?" Torque asked, glancing around.

"Screamy is staring out the window…it is very peaceful…"

The sun may have been on the verge of setting, but it was still a beautiful sight to behold. Malon came back with Tails' juice (that he swigged mighty fast) and caused the partners minus Screamy to make a mad dash to the kitchen area for grilled cheese. Malon laughed and returned to her seat.

"So…what should we reflect on now?"

"I dunno," Tails shrugged, wiping his mouth for his abrupt juice-slurping.

"All I can thinking are all the bad times we've been through! Throwing me in lava, Jerry getting scarred, Malon being kidnapped, Macho Max's brutal beating, the trashing of Torque's kart-" Blooey ranted.

"Ooh! What about when Luigi had to play GRASS!" cackled Torque.

"Ha ha, oh yeah!" laughed Blooey and Jerry.

"That role sounds unimportant," mused Screamy.

"Ahem, I was a smash hit afterwards!" Luigi pointed out.

"Your fans were locked outside."

Luigi made a face.

"I dunno, but I thought this entire journey was awesome!" Malon beamed, hands clasped together. "I think the best part was getting to become such great friends with all of you!"

"Way to be cheesy…" murmured Knuckles, getting a hit in the head afterwards.

"I could've said "great friends with all of you minus Knuckles", you know," Malon said, grinning snarkily. "But I didn't!"

"I can't win."

"Heh heh, I guess you can't," chuckled Meta Knight. Knuckles gave him a light shove.

"Whose side are you on?"

"I'm on my OWN side!"

"Ha ha…one of these days, you and I should have a rematch! I so wasn't ready the last time-"

"Who are you kidding?" Meta Knight retorted, mocking Knuckles by holding up his fists. "We gonna rumble?"

Malon burst out laughing once again, which unintentionally got Tails and Luigi to start up. Knuckles' jaw went slack for a moment but fixed itself just as he started yelling incoherent things to Meta Knight, who was looking quite smug.

"I'd have the rematch just to prove to you I could defeat you in battle as many times as I need to."

"Oh really-"

"Okay guys, don't take it TOO far," Luigi laughed, coming between them.

"Yeah, I bet Luigi could take both of you on at the same time anyway!" called Tails, folding his arms in mid-air. Knuckles and Meta Knight turned to Luigi testily.

"Oh really-"

"Heck no- why'd you say THAT Tails?" Luigi squeaked. Tails shrugged.

"Anyone that takes down a psycho king should be able to plow through Knux and Mettie like dust!"

"Since when is my name Mettie-" "Like Dust-?"

"Hahahaha Tails, you're so cute…I'd probably be the dust that'd get plowed through!"

"Ya got that right!" "Hmph."

Malon folded her own arms and marched next to Luigi. "Well I think he could do it! He's strong and clever and whatnot,"

"Thank you Malon."

"Of course she would cheer you on-" Knuckles started to sneer.

"The love hormone does strange things…" murmured Meta Knight.

Tails literally rolled on the floor laughing as Luigi pulled his hat over his head and Malon went on a rampage.

"I absolutely hate what you're implying!"

"You haven't denied it, however…" "It's totally obvious."

"NARGH!"

"Hey…what's up with the sky? It go dark!" Screamy pondered randomly, interrupting the debating and now staring very intently out the window. Also confused, everyone was also at the window within a second. The soft pre-dusk sky slowly morphed into a sickening purple.

"What the…why IS the sky going dark?" Luigi yelped.

"Is the Luff King not completely gone?" cried Tails.

"We watched him disappear with our own eyes…" Hayzee huffed.

"So what's going ON?" screeched Malon. "Because that does NOT look pretty at ALL!"

"Luigi, something in your pocket is glowing…" Knuckles pointed out, averting everyone's attention away from the darkening sky to Luigi's overalls. Luigi blinked and pulled the Marvelous Compass out- it was not only glowing, but it was showing another picture!

"Whoa…"

"What is it?" Meta Knight asked, trying to see. Luigi brought it down so everyone could see.

. . .

"…I will punish you for your resistance…"

Link weakly looked back at the team. "Any last words?"

Mario:…we just might actually be screwed.

"huff…huff…oh man…" wheezed Sonic.

The Shadow Queen clenched her fists. "I will ask you again…will you serve me? If so, I will forgive you for all of this…"

"Yes, Link…join us…you know you want to…" taunted Zelda.

"It'll keep you alive…" Amy snickered.

"I never though Team Z.A.P. would be telling us to cross over to the dark side…" huffed Samus. "I guess I've seen everything now."

"I don't wanna die!" Koops yelped. "Do something!"

"We're not giving up…" Kirby grumbled.

"It's either fight to the end or die trying!" added Sonic.

Mario: Oh yeah!

"Very well…then you will perish."

"You wanna know my answer?" questioned Link. "My answer…is NO!"

Suddenly, a light emitted from Mario, and the Shadow Queen flinched.

"What…what is this?"

The Crystal Stars suddenly arose above Team Mario, everyone watching in awe and wonder. They suddenly shot upwards, headed off to do who knew what at this point.

"They're so bright!" complained Zelda. "…and full of power…"

"I don't like it…" murmured Amy. Shadow Peach just glared at the ceiling.

. . .

"Oh my goodness! They weren't kidding when they said they were taking on a demon!" gasped Malon.

"Is that…Team Z.A.P.?" Knuckles wondered, appalled. "They're possessed!"

"Oh, I wish we could do something!" Tails moaned. "We've done what we could, but…it looks like that fate of everyone is now in THEIR hands. Of course."

"Well…maybe we can cheer for them!" Luigi suggested.

"How is that going to help?" huffed Meta Knight.

"Because friendship and love triumph over evil bla bla bla…" grumbled Knuckles until Luigi gave him a look. "…eh, but Thunder's right. Maybe cheering them on with give them confidence, or, uh, something…"

"Of course! Go Link! Go everyone!" yelled Malon.

"You go, Bro!" shouted Luigi, into the Marvelous Compass. "If I can save the day, then you certainly can! You're you!"

"Show no mercy Link!" added Malon.

"You've never given up before Sonic…" Tails trailed.

"Kirby, you've got a great strength inside of you…" Meta Knight stated. "…there is no way you can lose."

"Blow some things up with that cannon of yours Samus!" yelled Knuckles, pumping his fists. "Team Luigi has your back all the way!"

The Marvelous Compass suddenly expanded out a dome of its power, like it had exploded, then sucked it all back in with a devastating pop, slightly shattering it. Everyone saw the spectacle and gasped.

"It used the last it's power to show you the vision," Screamy explained, prying it from Luigi. "But now, the curse has _finally_ wore off, and it functions as a normal compass…you should be lucky it showed you that vision of your friends"

"Of course. It showed us that they're fighting for us…for everyone…and Team Z.A.P., apparently," Malon stated.

"Now I can't use Frozen North…" whined Luigi, frowning.

"Yes. Now Screamy will take the Marvelous Compass and make his delivery, now that it lacks the power of the curse. That, is what Screamy was meant to do."

"Well, at least we know it's in good hands Screamy," Knuckles said with a smile.

"Yeah, but I wish it could've showed us why the team is gonna separate…" murmured Tails. Knuckles, Meta Knight, and Luigi all gave him a warning look, but it was too late because Malon had asked, "What does he mean by that?"

And their peaceful moment went ka-boom.

"Way to spill the beans, Tails!" Knuckles instantly bellowed, giving the fox an annoyed glare.

"You can't blame it all on me!" Tails exclaimed. "Luigi was supposta tell Malon…"

"It's obvious he didn't!" Meta Knight threw in.

"I was waiting for the right time, and especially after our victory, that's not really an appropriate thing to bring up!"

"Were you going to keep her in the dark about it forever?" asked Meta Knight.

"Of course not! But do you want to see her cry?"

"I think she can handle news like this-"

"I can't even handle it Knuckles!" yelped Tails.

"I still can't believe no one told her!"

"WHAT are you guys TALKING about!" Malon screamed, causing the entire boat to go pin drop silent. Knuckles shoved Luigi forward, grumbling, "Now's a _great_ time."

Luigi nervously approached Malon, who had her arms folded and was tapping her foot impatiently. He glanced over his shoulder, receiving a cold hard stare from Knuckles, a look of disappointment from Meta Knight despite his mask, and one that look like it was getting to break down and cry from Tails.

"All right, listen Malon…awhile ago, Knuckles received a vision in his Master Emerald that showed him Team Mario saying goodbye to each other and saying things like "staying in their own worlds for a long time"…and you know that if they separate, we have to too…"

"And you promised that no matter what we wouldn't!" Tails cried, his fists quivering.

"We won't-"

"Wow…" Malon choked out, shaking her head once again. "I don't what's worse- the fact that we're possibly never going to see each other again, or the mere fact you kept it away from me and among yourselves!"

"Malon, I couldn't stand the thought of possibly making you upset with the news-" Luigi tried to explain.

"Well guess what?" Malon replied dully, flopping back into her seat. "You get to watch me be upset."

"What are you guys going to do afterwards anyway?" Hayzee asked. "You can't possibly think you can all stay here forever!"

"Yeah, you're going to have to go home sometime," added Torque.

"You don't get it!" Tails wailed, throwing his hands in the air. "If we go home, we don't get to come back! We'll never see each other again all just for whatever reason stupid Team Mario decided to spilt for awhile and _it's not fair_!"

"Tails!" Luigi gasped as Tails suddenly went bolting toward the back of the boat, dashing into a room, and slamming the door shut. Knuckles started staring at the ground again.

"Let him be alone. He always needs to blow off steam after venting like that…"

"So technically these are our last moments together?" Blooey whispered to Jerry, who nodded solemnly. Luigi had overheard them, and his gaze swapped from the closed door, to Malon glancing emptily straight ahead, to Knuckles and Meta Knight exchanging looks of their own. Luigi was at a loss at this point- what the heck was he supposed to do NOW?

"…"

Obviously no one wanted to say anything after that outburst of emotions, and Malon even took the liberty of turning herself completely around, her back turned to everyone and facing only the window. Meta Knight clenched his fists and stalked off to go meditate in a corner, while Knuckles went to the opposite side of the boat to 'guard' his Master Emerald (when in actuality he was hoping it had been wrong about its prediction, but it just reshowed him the very same vision…).

_"Way to go Luigi. Just when everything's going great for you, at the last you HAVE to screw it up. Marvelous."_

He regretted not looking into the future further…he wanted to see Éclair on her wedding day, and who stood by her side (not that it wasn't obvious)…he wanted to see his friends celebrating, happy, together…he wanted to see if this adventure was even worth the trouble at this point.

Their last few moments were silent.


	52. Together Forever

Paper Luigi X

Chapter 51: Together Forever

Now the sun was nearly hidden in the sky, from being so late in the day. It had returned back to its former glory, seeing as on the way, the Shadow Queen had been felled and all was good again. Bosco's boat pulled into Waffle Harbor, everyone still somewhat silent. Tails had finally came out of the room after the longest time, looking particularly torn. Malon finally turned back around, but didn't bother looking in anyone's direction, which continued to make Luigi uneasy. Meta Knight and Knuckles had remained silent, and the partners busied themselves with grilled cheese eating contests.

"I do not see what is so special about the grilling of cheese," Screamy stated simply, trying to eat his sandwich that he obvious found a distaste for. Blooey gawked.

"Okay, first we have Hayzee not hating Luigi, now we've got you not liking grilled cheese…you two aren't meant to be in this group!"

"So he doesn't like grilled cheese, big deal!" Hayzee shrugged, nomming his own sandwich.

"Not to interrupt your meal," Bosco began, smiling sadly as he looked over his shoulder. "But we have arrived."

Malon spoke up, breaking the silence (besides the partners still debating the goodness of grilled cheese). "Aw, Bosco…this will probably the last time we'll get to see you!"

"She's right…" Tails piped up sadly.

"Aw, don't get sad…no one leaves this ship until I hear promises that you're going to leave with a smile, because now you can go out into this world saying that you saved the day…and got to meet the one and only Bosco!" the old man chuckled.

"I promise we'll leave with a smile!" chimed the partners, mouths full of grilled cheese…with the exception of Screamy, who was at a trash can. Bosco smirked.

"I mainly wanted to hear it from Master Luigi, Lass Malon, Captain Tails, Sir Meta Knight, and-"

"You never gave me a fancy first title," Knuckles pointed out, now sitting somewhat chilled on his Emerald. Bosco placed a hand on his chin.

"Hm. You're right…I didn't. What would suit you, Knuckles?"

"Headstrong." "Knuckleheaded." "Red." "Angry." "Emerald-lover-"

"Whose side are you on?" Knuckles snapped to anyone who threw out a suggestion, only receiving giggles in return.

"How about he can be Master Knuckles, and I'll be Super Luigi!" Luigi suggested. "It fits because of the Master Emerald, you know?"

"Hey hey, I like it!" Knuckles decided, nodding and smiling. He struck a pose mere a moment afterward. "Master Knuckles, in the house!"

Malon face palmed.

"Thanks Luigi…" Knuckles said with a sideways grin. Luigi did a double take.

"WHOA!"

"What? Knuckles actually thanked somebody?"

"No…" "Hey!"

Luigi smiled. "He called me Luigi."

"I did? Weird…"

"Can we get off the boat now?" whined Blooey, already starting to inch to the door. Everyone face palmed and trotted after him.

"Yes, Blooey…"

"Farewell Bosco!" "Bye Bosco!" "We'll never forget you!" "Hasta la vista!"

Bosco put on his classic old man smile and waved them all good-bye. Knuckles and Screamy waved back before exiting, Meta Knight gave a nod while Jerry excitedly said his good-byes, and Blooey bolted off the boat while Malon gave a smile and curtseyed.

"It was very nice getting to know you Bosco," she said kindly, and honestly. Bosco nodded in respect.

"Well, it was an honor to meet you, Lass Malon. That's a golden guarantee!"

Malon's expression grew brighter as she gave Bosco one last smile before skipping down into the dock. Torque was grumbling something to himself as he departed while Tails was being somewhat apprehensive about leaving the ship.

"What's up Tails?"

Tails shrugged. "I…dunno. I'm just not quite ready to leave yet, I suppose…I want to learn more about boats but now I can't…"

"You are just like my granddaughter, you know…" Bosco trailed quietly, as if recalling something that he had buried somewhere along with his past. "You and Malon actually…"

Tails' ears perked up as Luigi arrived out of nowhere, asking "You have a granddaughter?"

Bosco nodded. "Yes…Malon reminds me of her every time I've seen her…while Tails' enthusiasm and love for learning is what sparked her own personality." He smiled sadly. "I haven't seen her in such a long time…I guess one of the real reasons I enjoyed traveling with you folks so much was because it gave me a thrill again. Her and I…we'd always go sailing together…"

Tails decided not to press the issue any further and left the boat after giving Bosco one last good-bye, then caved in and gave him a hug. Almost instantly after that, he flew abruptly off the boat, followed by Torque. Hayzee left next, leaving only Luigi.

"I have to say, Bosco…I can't believe you've put up with and my friends through the very end…I could thank you a thousand times and then some, you know."

"I must say, it was a pleasure to be of assistance," Bosco responded. "…and I could thank YOU over a thousand times."

"Nah, you don't have to thank me…" Luigi shrugged, stepping off the boat to follow his friends. "I'm just your plain old everyday Luigi. Happy trails, Bosco!"

Bosco waved a final time, still with the sad smile being the center of his expression. "You'll always be Super Luigi to me, you know…farewell…"

. . .

Finally, everyone was at long last off the boat and gathered in a huge group on the dock, knowing this was the moment before the goodbyes of their own. Of course, after the silence they shared on the boat, no one was interested in starting on that topic. They all stood around awkwardly, not completely sure what to do next. However, Luigi noticed Tails now twitching and fumbling with something behind his back, and it was piquing Luigi's interest quite so.

"Tails! What're ya messing with?"

Tails let out a squeak of surprise, nearly dropping said object he was fondling. Now this had caught everyone's attention.

"What do you have, Tails?" Malon asked innocently. Tails glanced around, then sighed and pulled out a medium sized case. Everyone stared at it with bewilderment- just what was THAT for?

"…would you really want to continue on to our own worlds, with the possibility of never speaking to each other again?" Tails asked, still clutching the thin yet long, velvet case. "I-I was thinking that we should be able to keep in some sort of though…because what if there's a huge emergency and we need to reach each other instantly?"

"Tails…I get the feeling you're implying that you built something," Knuckles stated bluntly. "It'd better not be anything beyond my comprehension!"

"I'm pretty sure you'll be able to comprehend it, Knuckles…" Tails sighed. "I kept the design simple, convenient, and even stylish!"

"Ooh! What is it? WHAT IS IT?" Malon questioned excitedly, trying to get in a peek. Even the partners started hopping up and down so they could see. Finally, Tails took a deep breath, and opened the case. Everyone went into a buzz trying to be the first to see what Tails had created.

There, all lined up in beautiful color order, were twelve hand-made communicator watches that looked like they had just been store bought. Luigi lurched with astonishment at the sight of what Tails had somehow put together while everyone else gasped in shock (minus Knuckles, who was only impressed that Tails had managed twelve on short notice).

"You _made_ these?" "Where'd you get the parts?" "Where'd you find the time?" "Can I have the blue one?" "Wow!"

"Easy, easy…" Tails chuckled. "Yes, I made them. Torque luckily had a few- okay, a ton of spare parts lying around, and while I needed some alone time I accidentally built my own watch…then some for you guys, then I even made some for Team Mario, and Team Z.A.P.!"

"What about Team Bowser?" Malon questioned.

"You really want to stay in contact with the bad guys?" Knuckles retorted while rolling his eyes.

"…just in case anyway, I synched my watch, and my watch only, to Eggman's device that he uses for teleporting. Eggman would most likely be with his team anyway…"

"So which one's mine?" Luigi, Malon, Knuckles, and Meta Knight asked eagerly. Tails' eyes widened as he sweat dropped.

"Calm down! Luigi, yours is the Luigi-green one…" Tails began, handing Luigi said watch.

"Whose is the dark green one?"

"That's Link's…here, I'll do colors. The pure pink one is Peach's, the reddish-pink is Amy's, magenta is Zelda, pure red is Mario's, brick-red is Knux's-" he took out the watch and handed it to Knuckles, who strapped it on instantly "-bold orange is Malon's-" He handed that one to her. "-light orange is mine, you know the greens, cobalt blue is Sonic, this midnight purple one is yours Meta Knight, and the rainbow one is Kirby's."

As Tails strapped Meta Knight's watch on, Knuckles snapped his fingers.

"Hey…how come there isn't a watch for Samus?"

"Yeah, why is that?" added Meta Knight, adjusting his new accessory to make it comfortable.

"Well…Luigi can give Mario and Peach their watches, Malon can give Link and Zelda theirs, Knux and I will have to do Sonic and Amy, and Meta Knight can do Kirby…but there would be no one to give Samus hers if I made one!"

"…so you just left her out?" inquired Torque.

"Course not. I synched all the watches to the communicator in her Power Suit, so she can communicate that way. Pretty cool, huh?" Tails answered as he gave everyone the extra watches to pass off.

"_Way!"_ Luigi exclaimed, staring at the watch now strapped to his wrist. "These are sweet, thanks Tails!"

Tails shrugged. "It was the least I could do since we're never gonna see each other again…"

"Oh, why do you keep pushing on that issue…" Luigi winced.

"Well, he is somewhat right…" Screamy began, looking thoughtful. "It is being of the time we partners departed. Of course, we'll be meeting again on the wedding day of Éclair, but that is not for another while."

"Yeah, we'd better get going soon…" Torque trailed, staring at the sky. "It's getting a little late now…"

"Screamy will volunteer to go first, if needed…" Screamy trailed, already heading off.

"W-Wait…" Knuckles started, holding Screamy back. "You're just going to walk away without a goodbye or anything?"

"Well…if Screamy goes now without saying goodbye…then Screamy will not break down and cry at the thought of how much he will miss Knuckles…"

Knuckles was stunned by how touched he was, and Screamy started to walk away again, but then turned around and zoomed back into Knuckles' arms.

"_Screamy doesn't want to go as much as the next guy!" _he sobbed lightly. "Knuckles is the best! Screamy wanted to stay with Knuckles for even just a little longer!"

"Whoa Screams, take it easy!" Knuckles exclaimed, holding his partner out in his massive palms now. "Listen…we've all gotta depart at some point! I know we've hardly been with each other…but that short time will be a time I'll remember for a long, long time."

"Screamy knows…Screamy has a duty he needs to fulfill! Screamy must deliver the Marvelous Compass!"

"I understand. Trust me...I've got a duty of my own."

"…it still doesn't change the fact Screamy will miss Knuckles very much…"

Knuckles shifted uncomfortably as he muttered, "…yeah, I'll miss you too Screamy…"

Malon threw her hands up in the air. "You've seen it here folks- Knuckles just went soft!"

"Shut up!" he snarled as Screamy hopped down once again.

"Screamy will be saying goodbye now…goodbye! Screamy had fun while it lasted, true true!"

Everyone bid Screamy goodbye, yet only Knuckles watched sadly as he bounced away, almost letting the Marvelous Compass lead his way. Hayzee was apparently the next to go, and tried to stand tall in front of Luigi.

"Well, this is where I make MY final appearance, so to speak…" he sighed. "It was a blast traveling with you, Luigi! I'm so glad I stumbled upon you back in Jazzafrazz Town!"

"Yeah, so am I Hayzee…" Luigi trailed. He then bent down to Hayzee's level and whispered, "You were always sorta my favorite partner. But don't tell the others…"

Hayzee beamed with pride and stood straighter. "Well, now I have a few goals in mind…my Paper Mario production, and then its spin off! That should be a blast, right? Who knows- perhaps our paths will cross again when you plan to attend one of my marvelous plays, no?"

"Perhaps, Hayzee, perhaps…"

Hayzee gave a director's wave at everyone before taking off also, a different direction than Screamy took. As he left, Torque was already saying his goodbyes to Tails. Tails was on his knees hugging Torque's shell, and probably not planning to let go any time soon.

"No! You can't leave Torque! You're so cool and awesome and…I don't know if I'll find someone that has such a passion for building things like you do!" Tails wept, not ready to let his Soul Partner go on his own just yet.

"Aw Tails…why must you make it harder? You're getting_ me_ choked up!" Torque sniffled. He then glared at Luigi. _"You."_

Luigi gulped. "…yes?"

"Since I know you're way too poor to ever pay me back…and you saved the Waffle Kingdom…I suppose I'll drop your debt. Don't know what I'll do about the poor Big Green 01, however…"

"Maybe I'll steal the money that the Rainbow Fuzzy Brigade stole from ME…" grumbled Luigi. "…but seriously Torque, thanks for letting me off the hook."

"Well, you are a friend of Tails', for whatever reason he likes you…but you're not all that bad!"

"Aw, thanks-"

"Just a completely klutz."

"Aw thanks."

He gently wrestled out of Tails' gripping hug, gave the fox a small nudge (which was the Buzzy Beetle's form of a hug), then turned around and went on his own way. Tails pulled out his own wrench, and even his screwdriver, then clutched them to his chest. They reminded him of Torque already; despite the fact said partner had only just turned the corner.

"Ah, Luigi…" Jerry trailed, trying to think of something to say. "Although the burning mental image of you in a wedding dress will leave me emotionally and psychically scarred for the rest of my life, I will try to look past that and see you for who you really are- a wimp, but one that is stronger in kindness than anyone else in all the worlds!"

"…I love how they're complimenting me with insults."

"And to you, Meta Knight…" Jerry walked over to said knight, then also nudged him for a sort of hug. Meta Knight was taken aback by the action, but then briefly wrapped his arms around his partner for a split second.

"Stay tough, Jerry," he stated as Jerry took a few steps back. The cherry bob-omb winked back.

"No problem! I'll be heading back to Plumpbelly Village soon- with all the women back scrambling around, the mayor is going to need some help keeping things straight! See you all!"

"Goodbye Jerry!" was the unified response once Jerry took off. Meta Knight looked down in shame.

"I wish I could have done more for him…" he trailed regretfully. Malon patted him in assurance.

"It's okay! It just took a little longer for your bond to develop, that's all!"

"And speaking of bonds…" Blooey hummed, now being the last partner to leave. "I-I guess it's my turn."

He turned to Luigi, who flinched as if the blooper was going to perform some last second brutal beating.

"Let's see…you've burned me to a crisp, left the nickname I've had since I was a kid obsolete, put me through all sorts of life and death situations, and now I have to cease the "We Hate Luigi!" club because no one, including myself, hates you anymore…what am I supposed to say?"

"…"

"I'll tell you what I'm going to say!"

Everyone waited in hanging suspense.

" …shoot, I'm the Tan Torpedo and I've just realized that Luigi totally grew on me."

"So you might actually miss me?"

Blooey sighed. "Yeah…but I'll miss Malon mo-"

"OH BLOOEY I'LL MISS YOU MORE THAN SCREAMY WILL MISS KNUCKLES!" Malon wailed, nearly glomping her partner while on the verge of sobbing. "To some of the others you may have been a complete jerk, but whenever it involved me, I've never seen anyone braver, kinder, and sweeter than you!"

"CoughexceptLuigicough!"

"Hush Knuckles."

"Man…I'm totally going to miss you too Malon…"

Malon pulled away from her hug to look her blooper in the eyes. "You be good, okay? Stay out of trouble, and maybe even use that tan of yours to your advantage! The adventure you were looking for may not have been this one, but hey, at least you got to be with me, right?"

Blooey nodded. "Yeah…Malon, you made it all worthwhile. I think I'm going to go now too…peace out you guys!"

He waved a tentacle after attempting a peace sign (and failing) then boldly walked off into the sunset, ready to hunt down his next adventure. Malon stood back up, lightly smiling, then turned to the rest of the team, who were now slightly solemn.

"I-I guess it's our turn now…" Luigi trailed, swallowing hard.

"Yeah. I guess it is," Tails said emptily, staring intently at the ground.

"Who's going first this time?" Meta Knight asked. Knuckles raised his hand.

"I'll do it. Screamy was brave enough to go first for the partners, so I'll be the one to get this over with first too."

"How noble, Knuckles."

Knuckles just nodded and walked over to Luigi, trying to form some sort of speech in his mind.

"Uh…so, eh…I guess I'm leaving."

"Yeah, looks like it…"

Well, what a great start.

"I, uh…I guess I should just say thanks…"

"What are you thanking me for this time?"

"Well, if you hadn't accepted me into your group, I suppose I wouldn't have realized how great it felt to be part of a team again…of course, I will choose working alone every time, but a little backup every now and then is an assuring thought. I'm glad it was you that I got to travel with- not very many people would be willing to go up again demons even when they're pretty much down for the count."

He placed a hand on Luigi's shoulder as he pulled his Master Emerald out. "You've got guts, Thunder. I respect that." He then blinked. "Er….would you prefer I call you Luigi?"

Luigi smiled. "You can called me whatever you want Knuckles."

Knuckles smiled back. "Cool. It's been great, Thunder…" the Master Emerald started to glow. "…but this echidna needs to get back home. See you sooner or later, Tails."

Tails murmured, "Yeah, see you soon…"

The Master Emerald was restored to full size, and as everyone watched with interest, Knuckles was just hoping he could pull off being able to teleport himself home.

"The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos…Master Emerald, I need your help. Please, teleport me home, Master Emerald!"

Everyone shielded their eyes from the massive amount of light the emerald emitted, and once everyone could see again…both Knuckles and the Master Emerald were gone.

And Tails snapped.

"NO! _No!_ I can't! I-I **won't!** You can't make me!" he yelled, going crazy and flying off at a speed that would rival Sonic. Luigi, Malon, and Meta Knight briefly exchanged glances before Malon shouted out, "TAILS!"

"Remember what Knuckles said- let him be…" Meta Knight trailed. Luigi turned from Meta Knight to the direction Tails had ran in. He adjusted his cap and started to follow.

"No. You two stay here. I'll be right back. The kid needs someone to talk to, not more being left alone…"

Malon went to protest, but Meta Knight grabbed her and shook his head.

Luckily for Luigi, Tails hadn't flown very far, and was only hiding behind a building, sitting on the ground with his knees folded against his chest and his arms hugging them tight as tears streamed down his eyes. Luigi bit his lip as he approached Tails cautiously.

"Tails…are you okay…?"

"You lied to me, Luigi," he blubbered, not ever bothering to look him in the eye. "You didn't keep your promise! You said that we wouldn't separate no matter what…and what happens? You easily let Knuckles teleport away! You're gonna let Meta Knight and Malon leave too, but you're not gonna make me do the same, _nuh-uh!"_

"Tails…nothing could ever separate us-"

"Do you think I _wanted_ to make these watches?" Tails suddenly questioned sharply, holding out his hand for emphasis. "I made them out of fear that we would never see each other AGAIN! Think about it- a stupid watch as your last link of communication with your best friends!"

"Nothing could ever separate us, you hear?" Luigi retorted just as sharply, even grabbing Tails' shoulders and forcing him to look at him. "Yes, it's true that we'll be in different worlds and we may never see each other again…and as cheesy as this is about to sound…nothing could ever destroy the friendship we have created. Not even sending each and everyone one of us to the farthest reaches of the universe could change that, okay?"

Tails sniffled a little and started to nod. "...You're right…but…Luigi…"

"Yes?"

"…I don't wanna even think about what my life would without you…I don't want to have to go back to the way it was before I met you, with Sonic running off on his own and leaving me with nothing to do but polish my plane or build a robot or something! He's the greatest, Luigi, he really is…but I don't want to be alone anymore!"

He propelled forward, latched his arms around Luigi, simply seeking comfort, a desire that had been building up for far too long. Luigi, somewhat empathetically, hugged him back.

"I can guarantee that when you go home, Tails…Sonic'll be there. After all, they're roped into this deal, right? You and he will go exploring together again…and maybe the old spark will be rekindled! Who knows? I say you go back and give it a shot, okay?"

"Okay…but only on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"You've gotta do the same with Mario."

Luigi blinked, amazed that Tails was able to figure out Luigi felt the same way as Tails did, only with Mario being the Sonic alternate. It was sad that both their situations were applied with the people they were the absolute closest with.

"I will, Tails. That I can definitely assure. Now let's go back so Malon and Meta can get their goodbyes from you."

Tails silently agreed, helped Luigi off the ground and headed back to where Malon and Meta Knight were worriedly waiting, but when they saw that Tails' usual smile had returned, their moods turned around instantly.

"Sorry I ran off like that," he apologized. "But now I've got everything all figured out, so no worries!"

"Great to hear Tails!" Malon stated happily, giving Tails a small hug.

"Well in that case…" Meta Knight began, flashing his cape out. "…I suppose I'll be the next to depart."

"Uh, okay…see you Meta Knight!" Luigi called.

"Please take care!" chimed both Malon and Tails. Meta Knight's eyes lightly sparked with something…was it sadness? Whatever it was, it was only there for a moment, exiting in Meta knight's voice when he said, "Goodbye…please take care yourselves…"

Then he wrapped his cape around himself at a dizzying pace, and within a blink of an eye, Meta Knight was gone also.

"And then there were three…" whispered Luigi. These good-byes were getting gradually harder and harder- even though Meta Knight's was quick and painless, the emotion in the atmosphere certainly didn't help. Tails knew in the bottom of his gut he was meant to go next, and stepped forward.

"…"

"Goodbye Tails…" Malon trailed, voice quivering in the slightest degree. "I truly don't believe we'll never see each other again, but in case we don't…you're a really great kid. Remember that."

Tails gave her a thumbs up. "Will do, Malon! Remember to keep Link in check, okay?"

"Ha ha, I'll give it my best shot!"

Tails beamed back, then turned to Luigi. They had already said all that they needed to say, but at the last second exchanged one last farewell wave. The fox's blue eyes shimmered lightly as he started hovering off the ground, tails spinning rapidly, before taking off like a firework into the sky, and disappearing in a small spark.

Luigi and Malon were left in an awkward gaze-down (instead of a stare down). It was hard of both them, Malon more or less so, but how were they to even _begin_ their goodbye? They oddly stood in position for what seemed like ages -Luigi could've even sworn that he had seen the sun move- before Malon suddenly rushed at him and threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him over. Luigi could tell by the way the hug was that it was far different from Tails' hug of valediction…this one meant much more than just that.

"Goodbye…I'll never forget you Luigi..." was all Malon whispered, before reeling away from Luigi and playing Epini's Song one last time for Luigi's ears to hear. Malon's beautiful horse teleported into sight, Malon mounting her almost as quickly as she appeared. The mere farm girl gave Luigi one last look, then took control of Epini's reigns and make her stand on her hind legs and lean back- a similar pose to Epona in a victory. The horse then galloped off, a tune Luigi couldn't quite define floating in the air, but it faded away quickly as Malon and Epini did. They were gone as well, and now Luigi was the sole remaining member of his team left at the docks.

Luigi stood alone for the longest time, until he finally sighed and took it all in.

They were gone.

"Well…that's that I guess…" he sighed. "…and you know what? I just realized that Bosco needs to take me home. Maybe he'll be happy to see me again…"

He turned heel and went to head back to Bosco's boat, figuring it to still be there, but only for it to be surprisingly gone, and to be replaced with a smaller version of said boat.

And a girl with long flowing orange hair to be standing, gazing out at the sea. Luigi's heart jumped and began to race.

"Malon? You didn't leave?" he gaped, rushing over to the girl and tapping her shoulder.

However, it was not Malon.

The dress the girl wore was a sailor dress, she wore a cute little sailor hat on top of her head, and although she resembled Malon in many ways, instead of her eyes being a deep blue, they were a bold, bright green.

"Hello there! Can I help you?"

Luigi was dumbstruck and smacked speechless. "Eh…I, erm…sorry. I mistook you for someone else."

"Oh, really? That's odd…this is one of the rare times I'm let out of the house! Hardly anyone sees me, let alone mistake me for someone!"

"Who are you, anyway?"

The girl stood straight, as if to strike a pose and recite a speech she had been practicing. "My name is Colby. Colby Jack! I'm the "rumored" daughter of Monterey Jack, don't'cha know? I'm always kept in the house because Daddy knows that I'm the only one who knows what happened to my grandpa…if you heard of my dad, then I'm sure you've heard of my grandpa, Pepper Jack, right?"

Luigi nodded, still in disbelief at the fact that Monterey Jack, aka Dynamite, actually DID have a daughter. "Y-Yes…I've met your dad a few times before, plus the name Pepper Jack has popped up in conversations from time to time…"

"Hmm…oh! You must be the guy that Buster was beating up on a while ago!" Colby exclaimed. "My dad hardly wants anyone at our house, because then I might be exposed…"

"And you're okay with being a secret?" Luigi asked. Colby shrugged.

"There's good points and bad points. At least I get to come out every night and watch the sun set like this…"

Luigi coughed, stood next to her, and then rubbed the back of his head.

"Say Colby…"

"Hm?"

"I know I've just met you and all, and I don't know if you're even comfortable with saying, but…whatever DID happen to Pepper Jack?"

Colby smiled sadly, a smile that was all too familiar to Luigi.

"Pepper Jack retired from his crazy motorcycling ways, you know…as he got older, he realized that slow trips across the oceans appeared to him more than tearing down the street on a loud machine. He disappeared for the longest time, making everyone believe he died…but then one day, he bought a boat, called the S.S. Breadstick, and when I was ten…he started to take me on rides, as long as I promised to never tell that he was still alive. I agreed."

Her smile weakened a bit as Luigi began to fit the pieces together.

"By the time I turned twelve, my grandpa had started a business, taking people between the Mushroom King, to the Waffle Kingdom, and even a few places in between…he got so busy that our secret boat rides came to halt. Now my dad believes that I know how Grandpa died, but in reality I just know what happened to him…"

Colby looked thoughtful. "He even changed his name too. Bosco, I believe…yeah, he changed his name from Pepper Jack to plain old Bosco. Odd, huh?"

"V-Very odd…" he then glanced down and sighed."How am I supposed to get home now? Bosco's gone…"

"What's that now? You need a ride? I'd be happy to take you!" Colby exclaimed. "I've got a boat of my own, don't'cha know! I can take the heat from my dad later! C'mon! Where we going?"

"You're willing to take me back to the Mushroom Kingdom?" Luigi asked, taking her hand as she helped him aboard. Colby smiled and nodded.

"Of course! I know how it is…trust me. We'll be back in Toad Town in no time!"

"If you say so Colby…"

He gave the Waffle Kingdom one last look, as if Éclair would at the last second burst out of her palace, calling for Luigi (okay, that one was more of a fantasy than anything)…or for one of his friends to pop out of nowhere and return…

But it was not meant to be.

So Luigi climbed onto the ship, and headed home himself.

The long journey home was weary for the hero…only thoughts of his friends whirling around in his mind. He hadn't as long of a time to get to know them, but the experiences they shared were more than enough to guarantee that Luigi was definitely going to miss them. He only hoped that the adventure he took them on had proved to them that they weren't just sidekicks- they were heroes in their own special way, not like Team Mario.

They were called Team Luigi for a reason, you know.

. . .

Luigi went back to his humble home, which remained exactly as he had left it, a cold comfort for his heavy heart. Mario had not returned from his own adventure yet, but judging by what the compass had shown him, he'd return victorious sometime tomorrow. Luigi now knew how Mario felt after returning home from a long weary journey…but unlike Mario, he was not going to down some pasta, go to sleep, then tell the tale tomorrow.

_Dear Diary-_

_I'm home! And guess what? I DID IT! I went on a journey, I made some other worldly new friends, and I can now call myself a hero. Nothing like a little adventure to man you up, huh? …the only drawback is that I may never see my team again, but I know in the bottom of my heart that we'll be together forever._

_…and between you and me, I almost want to grab a copy of those Super Luigi books the Fuzzies wrote. But that would add insult to injury. Maybe I'll convince Mario to buy them soon…when he returns, of course._

_-Luigi_

Taking up a book he had been reading, Luigi tried to read, but his long trial had sapped his strength, and he soon fell asleep.

Luigi dreamt of his friends and his beloved Princess Éclair. And sleeping, Luigi spoke...

"I shall return."

* * *

***cries* It's over...and you wanna know something else? I like the ending to PLX better than PMX2! *cries again* **

**Of course, there's still the epilogue...I gave PLX's a bit of a twist. ;)**


	53. Perhaps Not the End?

Paper Luigi X

Epilogue: Perhaps Not the End?

**A few Weeks Later-**

"…Oh, wow, that's crazy, Bro.! You had a pretty rough time of it, didn't you? That's harder than my own adventure!"

Mario and Luigi were sitting at their table, just like they had before both of then were whisked off to their own adventures. Mario had decided to bore Luigi with his own story, but as usual, Luigi was fascinated and looked up to his bro. Mario admitted maybe he should quit falling asleep during people's stories…

"But I guess that now Peach is safe, everything's okay. Really though, how amazing is it that you saved the world again? AGAIN, Bro!…and say, it's been a little while since then. Are you ready for a new adventure?"

Mario just shrugged, but then decided a little action wouldn't hurt.

"Yeah, you the man, Bro! I wonder what everyone who traveled with you is up to?"

As if on cue, Mario's Mailbox SP went off for a final time. Luigi nearly jumped out of his seat.

"Whoa, what was that, Bro? Was that your newfangled mail gadget?"

They jumped out of their chairs so both Bros could see the message.

_Dear Mario,_

_What's up? Goombella here! I'm still here working with Professor Frankly. We beat the Shadow Queen, but there's still tons of Rogueport lore that we still don't get…so, my research with the professor goes on and on. With the info I gathered with you, we have lots of great leads now though! Mario…like I said, every myth has a kernel of truth-_

"Hey! That's what Monterey Jack told me on my adventure…" Luigi recalled. Mario gave him a look. "Sorry! Continue…"

Luigi only started to half listen now. His recent thought had sparked one of a letter he had received from Éclair a few days ago. He had read it over and over, and he pretty much had it memorized now…

_My Dear Luigi,_

_How have you been? It's Princess Éclair, you know. Well, I'm Queen Éclair now, but, between you and me, I think princess sounds a lot better. I've been doing the usual queen-like things, but I figured it would be nice to send you a letter on what's been happening, since I need to break out from this new rut I'm making… I've checked up on all the partners that traveled with you, you know! You remember Blooey? Well, it turns out his burn is permanent. The good news is that his tan has snagged him a few magazine covers, a modeling job, and even becoming mayor of the Pudding Continent! Isn't that cool? I'm so happy for him!_

"What do you know? That is pretty cool! I wish I could be mayor of Something…"

Mario: Luigi…

"Sorry! Sorry…"

Then there's Jerry- he went from random bomb in a forest to Strudel's top body guard! Now that all the women have been returned to the village, the mayor THERE has been as busy as ever! So he hired Jerry, now a respectable hero, to guard Strudel when he isn't around. Luckily he and Strudel are close friends now, she doesn't mind seeing him every so often. That girl is quite a catch- if any guy turned her down, they'd be CRAZY! Then there's Torque- he knew that you'd never be able to pay him off, so he swallowed his pride and fixed up the Big Green 01- and it's better than ever! He's actually glad that that you didn't pay him back, otherwise he would've never built the Big Green 02! He claims that the new kart can almost go as fast as Sonic!

"Ah, I've always liked Sonic…oh wait, I'm interrupting again, aren't I?"

_Hayzee, as he told me, was "serious about doing his Paper Mario play". I even went to go see two of his new plays with Charles. The first is called, "Paper Mario", which I hear is based off your brother's adventures? It was outstanding! It even had real people from the adventure, and the famous actor Madame Flurrie! The person who played Mario himself had an uncanny costume too! Then there was this other play that was some sort of spin-off of the other one…Hayzee told me that he got most of his info for that play from these "Super Luigi" books they're selling, and the rest from his own experience. Paper Mario had over 500 people in the audience while…the other play whose name escapes me got over 200. He did pretty well, huh?_

"Longest e-mail ever…"

_Screamy…oh Luigi, he was like the Ring Bearer at my wedding! And Jerry devoured my cake…but anyway, apparently Screamy was meant to deliver the Marvelous Compass back to me, now that it lacks power, since I'm technically the last living descendent of the Luffs. As the real Ring Bearer walked up to hand us our rings, Screamy jumped out of his seat, bowed in front of me, and said, "Screamy presents you with this Compass, with hopes that it keeps the memory of the once strong Luff Empire alive through you." It touched me deeply… as soon as it was in my possession (I now wear it around my neck like a necklace) Screamy gave me the same smile Huckleberry did as he started to fade away too…I nearly broke down in tears again because he reminded me so much of Huckleberry…no wonder they were best friends 1,000 years ago. But now there's no original Luffs (or Luff Spirits) in the Waffle Kingdom anymore…kind of makes me sad. I can at least smile knowing that Huckleberry, Cranberry, and Screamy were able to go happily, and Crepe didn't succeed with his evil intentions. All thanks to you, of course._

"This is a pretty tenacious message…"

_Ha, I should probably wrap this up, shouldn't I? Well, I suppose I should finish off with myself. I've finally changed a ton of Crepe's old rules, and now the Waffle Kingdom is much, much happier. I am happy with my wonderful king of a husband, and who knows if they'll be a little prince or princess in the future, ha ha! Oh, and one last thing…apparently some old man named Bosco wanted to wish you luck with everything, since it would be very likely that you'd never meet again. But perhaps, as he said, you and his granddaughter may reunite? Odd…and what's weirder, he reminds me of Pepper Jack, a famous biker that was close friends with my father! Ah, coincidences. Well, anyway Luigi, I once again thank you for all that you've done, and no matter how hard you try, even if you fail, never, ever, give up._

_Yours Truly,_

_Princess Éclair Chestnut_

"Hey! That's awesome Bro! Sounds like everyone's doing great over there!" Luigi exclaimed, realizing that Mario was wrapping up. "Oh, by the way Bro…I remember something kind of important…"

He pulled out a red watch-like device out of his pocket and handed it to Mario.

"It's a communicator, so that you can still talk to the rest of your team- and even mine and Peach's! Except I'll give Peach hers later…" he pulled down his sleeve and revealing the exact same watch, except Luigi-green. "Yeah, I got one too. Tails designed them. He figured that if there was ever a huge universe-wide emergency, we should stay in contact!"

Mario nodded and slipped it on his right wrist.

"Yeah, Malon was supposed to give Link his, Tails was going to give Sonic one, and Meta Knight Kirby's…but we had no way of finding Samus, so Tails made it so we could sync with the communicator with her suit just in case. He's such a clever kid…but remember- emergencies only!"

Mario nodded in understandment, admiring the fancy watch and wondered if he'd ever need it while the SP in his pocket buzzed again. Luigi just smiled at his brother as he continued to stare at the SP.

_"He's probably reminiscing again…"_ he thought to himself. He brought up his wrist and felt the shiny watch. _"If only I could see my friends again…but I think it's fate that we meant once…and perhaps…to never meet again."_

But Luigi was wrong.

* * *

***strums guitar dramatically***

**Anywho, I had another heck of an Author's note...but I screwed up and never saved it and I can't remember what I said. DX Basically what I said in PMX2 applies here, though. :3 I'm so going to miss this story...so many memories...here's to hoping we can make some more with SPMX! Which reminds me that Team Luigi is hardly seen next time-*BOO!*- but I pushed a few things around to give them a tad more screen time because thay totally deserve it. ;) *YAY!***


End file.
